Lewis Hamilton was delighted to be back the top step after an "incredible" win in Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix.
The Briton and his Mercedes team once again got the better of Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari as a decision to pit earlier than their rivals proved decisive.
And amid spectacular scenes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Hamilton was left in awe.
“This is the best crowd we've ever seen," Hamilton stated in front of a packed Foro Sol stadium.
"Today is an incredible result. I have to say a huge thanks to my team - the guys continue to work incredibly hard and stay focused.
"They came here on the back foot and we pulled through -- we had a quite a bit of damage and the race was a struggle, but I kept my head down and it felt like a long second stint."
The race began with a scare for Hamilton as he and Max Verstappen touched at Turn 2 at the start, causing the floor damage which Lewis mentioned.
Asked about the incident, he told RaceFans: "I didn’t have a lot of space to give him extra space.
“I don’t think it was intentional or anything like that it was just… it’s a magnet for those kind of things, but nonetheless I managed to keep the car together in a straight line, fortunately.”
Hamilton explained he had to adjust his driving style following the incident, but it was the long 48-lap final stint on the hard tyre until the chequered flag which got the job done.
"I was managing [the tyres]. I had to manage quite a lot, it was a long way," he said.
"He [Vettel] was still going for so long. It was a lot. It was encouraging to hear other people were going long, but he started to pick up the pace towards the end, and I needed to save enough in my pocket to be able to keep that gap for the last few laps.
"That wasn’t easy. He was very, very fast.
Finally, though the 34-year-old didn't secure the title for a third straight year in Mexico, he admitted standing on the top step was the next best outcome.
"I don’t mind, I love racing and I take it one race at a time,” he said. “This is a race I've wanted to win for some time and it's been a bit tricky for us.
"Today I had the opportunity and the car held together and the team executed the best strategy."
