Oscar Piastri was handed the race win on the run to the chequered flag to win from Lando Norris and George Russell after a tense 19-lap encounter.
In truth, Russell was likely faster than Piastri, though by managing Norris’ pace in the lead protected the Australian with DRS.
It was a thrilling battle, with Russell trying desperately to find a way through only for Piastri and Norris to drive inch-perfect races in a brilliant team performance.
However, there was a final twist and, on the run out of the final corner, Norris slowed to hand victory to Piastri.
It was payback for the Sao Paulo GP Sprint, where roles had been reversed and Piastri gave up the points to held his team-mate’s championship quest.
With his drivers’ title hopes extinguished, it was a fine, sporting gesture by Norris.
Russell held on to third from Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who pulled off an impressive pass on Lewis Hamilton to claim fifth place.
A good jump saw Norris retain the lead, while Piastri and Russell went wheel to wheel, the Australian coming out on top.
They’d bashed wheels on the way into Turn 1, Piastri going around the outside to give him the inside line for Turn 2.
A moment out of Turn 5 when he dropped a wheel allowed Russell a glimmer of hope, but Piastri quickly regained his composure to hold on to the place.
Behind the top three, Sainz headed Hamilton and Leclerc, while Liam Lawson slipped from 10th to 16th on the opening lap.
A lap later, he’d fallen behind Zhou Guanyu to sit 17th, one spot up from team-mate Yuki Tsunoda with only Franco Colapinto and Sergio Perez, both of whom had started from the pit lane, behind them.
Piastri was vulnerable in second to Russell, who was well within DRS and launched an attack into Turn 1 on Lap 3.
He got close, but the McLaren driver was unmoveable, holding his nerve and with it the position.
It was clear, however, that he was slower than the pursuing Mercedes, and would benefit from Norris ahead easing up and affording him DRS.
That message was quickly received, with the race leader allowing his team-mate within DRS range as McLaren moved to protect its one-two position.
It created a leading train of five cars, Leclerc in sixth the first car not in contact as he sat 1.8s adrift of Hamilton in fifth.
McLaren’s strategy worked, blunting Russell’s ability to attack though at times reliant on Piastri’s own unflappability under pressure.
It was close again on Lap 9, but the Australian held his nerve and swept in to Turn 1 to deny Russell and hold his place.
Teamwork between the pair at the front was critical; should Norris pull too far clear, Piastri would have become immediately vulnerable to not only Russell but Sainz too.
Hamilton also remained in contact, though by mid-distance had dropped out of DRS range of the Ferrari ahead.
Russell too seemed as though he beginning to fade.
Having once been harrying the year of Piastri ahead, the gap had stretched out to eight-tenths after 12 laps.
McLaren noticed, instructing Norris to lift the pace in an effort to drag Piastri clear with the race leader, breaking the DRS gap to Russell.
Russell reacted by setting the fastest lap of the race, easing the gap closer to Piastri ahead.
Behind them, Leclerc and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel for fifth, the Ferrari driver getting the better of it after a battle that lasted four corners.
On Lap 14, Russell launched another attack after Norris pulled 1.2s clear in the race lead.
Piastri was forced, for the first time, to move off his line and defend the Mercedes driver’s advance.
It was successful, but borderline – moving simultaneously with Russell as he swerved right into Turn 1 in an attempt to pass.
Again, Norris slowed and Piastri picked up the DRS from his team-mate despite beginning to struggle for front grip.
It was pivotal and the McLarens remained safe out front, Norris from Piastri with a small but critical gap to the third-placed Mercedes.
But there was one final twist; out of the final corner on the final lap, Norris eased up and allowed Piastri through.
It was a brilliant moment of solidarity within the team, payback from Sao Paulo, and a show of respect between the McLaren pair.
Russell was a narrow third with Sainz fourth, Leclerc fifth and Leclerc sixth.
Nico Hulkenberg and Max Verstappen rounded out the top eight, the Haas impressively ahead of the Red Bull Racing.
It meant 15 points for McLaren, and nine for Ferrari, widening the constructors’ championship a little further with now just two grands prix left in season 2024.
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