Malaysian Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo wins after Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire after car set on fire during the 40th lap
Red Bull take a 1-2 in Malaysia after Max Verstappen clinches second spot ahead of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg in third
LEWIS HAMILTON'S car burst into flames as his title chase went up in smoke in Malaysia.
The distraught three-times champion shouted "No! No!" as his Mercedes engine exploded 16 laps from the chequered flag in a dramatic and action-packed race.
Three-times champ Hamilton had pulled out a 22.7 second lead over race winner Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull and second-placed Max Verstappen.
But the 31-year-old's world and chances of a fourth championship came crashing down around him in the burning 34 degree furnace of south east Asia.
Fuming Hamilton blasted his team and said: "I've just got to move on. I just can't believe that there's eight Mercedes cars and only my engines are the ones that have gone this way. Something just doesn't feel right.
Ham's nemesis Nico Rosberg finished third and stretched his lead to 23 points with five races to go.
But he was whacked by Sebastian Vettel at the FIRST corner at the Sepang circuit and had to claw his way back from 19th.
Teenage tearaway and second-placed Verstappen knew who to blame, slamming the German as a madman saying: "Sebastian is crazy! He went into Rosberg like a f***ing idiot."
But Vettel defended himself as he returned to the paddock after being summoned by the race stewards and said: "Both of us are making the corner, but Nico decides he is taking a different line.
"That is two things that are wrong. Nico, without any blame, gets turned around, and secondly I am standing here when the race is still going on. If you are squeezed to the inside your angle doesn't get better for turn one.
"I was trying to turn to get the corner. Nico tries to cut back to fight Lewis and we made contact. Nico is not to blame, but I do not see what I could have done massively different."
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Meanwhile with miles of fresh tarmac to eat up Hamilton pulled away from the Red Bull's of Verstappen and Ricciardo.
"That is the most perfect looking racing car I've seen in my life," said Sky pundit and former driver Martin Brundle of Hamilton's W07.
"It looks beautifully balanced on those hard tyres."
Sadly for Hamilton, that proved to be the kiss of death as his motor burst into flames on the 40th lap.
Rosberg was now driving like a man on a mission and as he tore through the pack - meeting his match in the hunt for fourth alongside the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.
Going wheel-to-wheel on lap 39 the Merc No2 clipped the front wing of the Iceman's prancing horse machine in a daredevil passing move.
It looked fair and decent, but petty stewards slapped him with a 10 second penalty for causing the crash meaning he needed to pull out a gap to beat Raikkonen to the podium with a superb drive.
Jenson Button got round in ninth on his 300th Grand Prix ahead of his favourite race in Japan and one of his McLaren-Honda's home outings.
Fellow Brit Jolyon Palmer in his Renault had his best ever finish in his rookie year as he cruised home in tenth.