Williams save the best for last

The former champions, ninth overall last season with just five points, cashed in like a lottery winner with their one-race haul of 66 ensuring the team ended the year at heights last visited more than a decade ago.

The unprecedented helping of double points for the final round helped, of course, but Williams still outscored everyone else as they made sure of third in the constructors' standings and a finish ahead of Ferrari for the first time since 1997.

"The work to turn the team around has been hard but I am so happy to see the smiles back on the faces of the people that work here," said deputy principal Claire Williams whose father and team founder Frank has been in hospital in England for several weeks.

"This is just the first step in a great future for Williams."

Brazilian Felipe Massa finished second, after challenging strongly for his first victory since 2008, while Finland's Valtteri Bottas was third for a team that won nine constructors' titles between 1980 and 1997 but then fell on hard times.

The result was a special thrill for Massa who left Ferrari last season after years of playing second fiddle to Fernando Alonso.

"I'm so proud to be racing for Williams," said the little Brazilian. "Really, it's just the beginning. We can do a lot more than that.

"It was so nice to see that we are there, we can win the race, we can fight for victory, we can fight hopefully for championships...it shsows that we didn't forget how to win."

Mercedes-powered Williams ended the year with 320 points, 85 behind outgoing champions Red Bull but 104 in front of Ferrari who have two champions in their lineup and a far bigger budget.

Bottas was fourth in the drivers' standings, with Massa seventh after a season that saw the Brazilian make three appearances on the podium.