Thierry Salvi, Renault: "A perfect way to close the V8 era: winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships and all the races since the summer break! Congratulations to all at Red Bull for the sheer amount of work they have done this year and for helping us secure the place of the Renault RS27 V8 in F1 history. Thank you to Mark who leaves us today: we wish him a lot of success in his future role."

Pat Fry: "Today's was a very uncertain race, for which it was difficult to make predictions because of unknowns relating to the weather and tyre behaviour. In the end, it didn't rain and the tyres displayed linear degradation, thanks also to the skillful management of both drivers. The car was well suited to the characteristics of this circuit also in the dry and, but for Felipe's penalty, we could have finished third and fourth. It would have been absolutely deserved because without a doubt today we were the second best team in the field. The team worked impeccably all weekend and I want to congratulate everyone for having tackled such a difficult season with maximum dedication. I am pleased the pit stop guys set the fastest times of the year and that our engineers were able to yet again deliver amazing reliability on the engine front, the systems and all car components, which is a key element when it comes to preparing for next year, for a new season when we want to return to being front runners again."

"Moreover, the manner in which those results were achieved was heartening indeed: both Jenson and Checo had difficulties in qualifying, through no fault of their own, but the way they charged through the field from their lowly grid slots this afternoon was seriously impressive. It also illustrated very creditable race pace, which was good to see.

"Having said all that, 2013 been a long, hard and disappointing year. Nonetheless, I want to take this opportunity to pay particular tribute to our trackside mechanics and engineers, who are without doubt the best in the pit-lane. That's not only my opinion, by the way; the stats bear it out, too.

"As of today, McLaren became the first team in Formula 1 history to have both its cars classified in every grand prix during the season.

"And, also as of today, McLaren completed 99.17% of the season's total possible race distance - 7139 miles [11,488km] out of a possible 7198 miles [11,584km] - which is not only better than every other team managed this season but is also a new world record, beating the previous record of 98.30% set by BMW-Sauber in 2008.

"Those two stats constitute compelling proof of the fact that our trackside mechanics and engineers possess the three D's in impressive abundance: dedication, determination and discipline. Well done, boys, I'm proud of you.

"Today, Jenson broke a record, too, becoming the first British F1 driver to start 247 grands prix, eclipsing the previous British milestone of 246 set by our old friend David [Coulthard]. And the way Jenson drove today proves that he's as hungry and as competitive as ever he was.

"Checo also drove a superb race today, surging from 19th on the grid to sixth at the flag, and I'm personally delighted that he was able to end his year at McLaren with such a fantastic performance. As I've said many times, he's a fine driver. He's also a lovely guy, and the way he's conducted himself over the past 10 days, in particular, in extremely challenging circumstances, has been hugely impressive. He's a class act.

"Today we also have to bid farewell to our title and total communications partner Vodafone, after seven seasons in which together we won one world championship, here at Interlagos, in 2008, perhaps the most dramatic denouement in Formula 1 history, and also scored 34 grand prix wins. Vodafone has been a fabulous partner for McLaren, and has contributed not only funding but also technology. Moreover, our partnership delivered all the marketing objectives that Vodafone had set for it, and gave its clients and customers a lot of fun, too.

"Finally, I want to say something about the future. Formula 1 is a relentlessly demanding sport, and next season's new regulations are already presenting all the teams with a daunting array of technical challenges - not only powertrains but aerodynamics, too. For quite some time we've been working extremely hard on those technical challenges, and our focus will be unstinting and unwavering from now onwards, throughout the winter. In other words, the 2014 season starts this evening."

In stark contrast to the first two days of track action at Interlagos, dry conditions remained for the majority of the race; interrupted only by light showers during the closing stages. A tricky start for both drivers saw Romain drop two positions and Heikki four on the opening lap; completing the first tour in eighth and fifteenth respectively.

Three laps later and Romain's impressive run of results during the final third of the season came to a premature end; the Frenchman's RS27-2013 engine failing in spectacular fashion on what would be the final appearance for the V8 configuration power plant. Movement amongst the midfield throughout a two stop strategy race was not enough to aid Heikki in recovering from a slow getaway; the Finn eventually crossing the line to take fourteenth place.

Kimi Raikkonen's absence from the last two races of the season sees him fall to fifth place in the final Drivers' Championship standings on 183 points; 6 behind Lewis Hamilton in fourth. Romain takes seventh position with 132 points; trailing Nico Rosberg by 39. For the second consecutive season the team finishes fourth in the Constructors' Championship; a total of 315 points the final tally from Ferrari's 354.

Heikki started from eleventh on the grid with a fresh set of medium tyres; pitting for the same compound on lap fifteen and again for new hards on lap thirty-four. Romain started from sixth on a fresh set of medium tyres; retiring on lap four.

Eric Boullier, Team Principal: "Clearly this is a disappointing way to end what has been a strong season for the team in often difficult circumstances. Our goal at the start of the year was to improve on last season's fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, and although we may have just fallen short of that target, it has certainly not been through a lack of effort. Fourteen podium finishes and 315 points is a commendable improvement on our 2012 performance, and I am extremely proud of everyone who has worked so hard to keep us right at the front of a very competitive pack until the very last weekend of the season. In Kimi and Romain we have had one of the strongest line-ups on the grid, and I would like to congratulate them both on some fantastic performances throughout the year. From Kimi's memorable win at the opening race to Romain's recent run of podium finishes, they have both been superb. It's going to be a busy winter preparing for the challenges of 2014, but for now we wish everyone a good few days of well-earned rest."

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: "After the season we've had with the E21, it's hugely frustrating that we were unable to give what has been a fantastic car the send-off it deserved. For Romain in particular - who has barely put a foot wrong over the past couple of months - we feel particularly aggrieved after his early retirement. We'll be looking into what happened with his engine to see exactly what caused such a significant failure, as generally speaking our reliability has been pretty strong all year. After a poor start it was always going to be difficult for Heikki to climb back into the points, but we're nonetheless disappointed to come away from this weekend with nothing on the board. We now look ahead to the challenge of 2014 aiming to maintain the momentum of the past two seasons."

Ricardo Penteado, Renault Sport F1 Team Support Leader: "Today was the last race for the V8s and unfortunately Romain's gave up before the end. We saw a massive drop in oil pressure in the data but we won't be sure of the exact reason until we get the car back; it could be cause or consequence. In any case it caused the engine to seize and explode in a spectacular way, so we'll investigate thoroughly to analyse exactly what lead to the failure."

Nico finished P5 this afternoon on a two-stop strategy, running option/prime/prime with stops on laps 22 and 44. Lewis finished P9 after making two pit stops (laps 21, 47) and serving a drive-through penalty on lap 52. Lewis also ran a tyre strategy of option/prime/prime and completed his 18th finish in 19 races in the 2013 season.

Ross Brawn: Well, I've certainly got a few more grey hairs after that race! Both cars made fantastic starts but it was soon clear that we hadn't found the sweet spot with the car balance for Nico and he was struggling for rear-end grip. Lewis was stronger in the opening stint and showed good pace before and after his first stop. Our race obviously turned on the two drive-through penalties for Felipe and Lewis. Our drivers had been reporting that Felipe was consistently crossing the white line at pit entry with all four wheels and when the FIA eventually took action, that obviously helped us. Then we had Lewis' unfortunate incident with Bottas and we have to take that one on the chin as we should have kept Lewis better informed of just how quickly the Williams was closing, even though he was a lap down. He then drove strongly after the penalty, especially considering his floor was damaged by the flailing tyre. But the key thing today is that the team secured second position in the Constructors' Championship, even though we made rather hard work of it. That was done on the basis of a very good step forwards and one we made for good reasons. My thanks and congratulations to everyone at our team for all of their hard work, dedication and commitment. Red Bull have been extremely dominant in 2013, and congratulations to them. But our progress is the first fruits of the technical team we began building two years ago and I am optimistic that the trend of progress will continue in 2014.

Toto Wolff: Our target today was to secure second position in the Constructors' Championship; we achieved that target and that's what counts. Ferrari, and Fernando in particular, made life extremely hard for us in the first half of the race and that kept us on our toes and gave us some nervous moments. Lewis' incident with Valtteri was unfortunate; we must be glad that it did not ultimately cost us any positions in the standings and learn our lessons from it. Thank you to everyone at the team, both at the track and at our factories, for their efforts and please keep up the hard work! Congratulations also to Red Bull, who once again showed incredible pace and have set the standard this season. From tomorrow, our attention will be fully focused on 2014 and taking another significant step forward in performance.

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: "A consolidating end to the season, which has been very difficult for the team. However the team has shown its morale in this difficult situation and together we will come back stronger. The foundation for a successful second half of the season was a strong performance from everyone in Hinwil and the race team, which translated into success at the track. The race today was typical of the season: despite a difficult starting point we were able to score four points and, therefore, have a satisfying end to the season."

Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering: "The rain just held off and, as planned, we had a two stop strategy with both cars. With a lot of information that needed to be processed today, our strategy engineer did an excellent job. Finishing P8 and P12 is good, considering where we started from. After a difficult start to the season, we have improved our results in the second half. This was a team effort from everyone at the track as well as everyone back at the factory in Hinwil. They have all been working very hard to improve our competitiveness. A big thank you to everyone involved in that. We start a new era in Formula One, and that is now our immediate focus."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: "Although we missed out on points today, we achieved the objective that we set ourselves coming into the weekend to defend our sixth place in the championship. In the end we did that quite comfortably, which is a real credit to everybody at Sahara Force India. It means we've finished in the top six twice in the last three seasons, consolidating our reputation as being the best non-manufacturer team. I thought Paul and Adrian both drove well today, although the ground Paul lost at the start proved quite costly. His race pace was good on the two-stop strategy, but the final point was out of reach. Adrian suffered more with tyre wear and had to stop three times. Looking back on the season as a whole I think we can be proud of our performance. The start of the year was exceptional and we recaptured our form in the final few races. We look forward to the challenge of 2014 and will come back determined to pick up where we left off."

The team would also like to thank Pastor for the last three years and wish him well for the future. Thanks go to Renault as we reach the end of our partnership which included our return to the top step of the podium. The team also extends best wishes to Mark Webber as he moves on to a new challenge.

Williams now heads into a busy winter and will prepare to come back stronger as we enter a new era of racing in 2014.

Laurent Debout, Renault Sport F1 team support leader: Unfortunately we could not end the V8 era and our partnership with Williams in the way we would have liked but we can still hold our heads high. After a difficult start to the year everyone at Williams and Renault worked hard to come back and we showed a lot of form in the second part of the year. We've enjoyed our two years together immensely and wish the entire team all the best for 2014. We look forward to a clean fight on track!

Xevi Pujolar, Chief Race Engineer: We planned a two-stop strategy with both cars today starting on option tyres. Valtteri pitted as planned for prime tyres but we extended Pastor's first stint as there was a chance of rain in the early stages. As the forecast changed we brought Pastor in for another set of options, but in the lower temperatures today both cars were struggling for pace so couldn't really fight. We continued on plan, whilst continuing to watch the weather, bringing in Pastor to switch onto the prime tyres with Valtteri back on the options for the final stage of the race. Unfortunately, Valtteri's race ended early as he retired at Turn 4 after losing his left-rear wheel when Hamilton made contact with him. Pastor then had a spin whilst racing Vergne and eventually finished in 16th.

There were emotional scenes in the Marussia garage as the Team's drivers delivered the right result, Jules finishing ahead of the last remaining Caterham of Van Der Garde and Max maintaining his record of 19 finishes out of 19 races - the best finishing record for a driver in his rookie year.

John Booth, Team Principal: "Although we have held on to 10th place in the Championship all season, we still had to cross the line at the season finale in order to get the job done. The Brazilian Grand Prix is renowned for being one of the most chaotic races on the calendar and so we needed to have our wits about us throughout the full 71 lap race, especially as there was the constant threat of rain. Although we encountered a few light showers, the way the race eventually panned out meant that no one was going to challenge our position today.

This has certainly been a character-building season. At the beginning we had a clear advantage over Caterham, then we lost some ground during the middle part of the year. Over the final long-haul phase we have pushed extremely hard, caught up and enjoyed some proper racing with them, with our performance in Austin last weekend underlining our continued progress and providing the perfect prelude to the finale here. With zero dry running before going to the grid, today was a tough ask of our two young drivers, who have never driven at this circuit before and had to go out there and be on it from lap 1. They were improving at every stage of the race and towards the end, in very damp conditions, Jules was running exceptionally well on the prime tyre and pulling away from Van der Garde.

Credit to the whole Team - both trackside and back at base in Banbury - for an incredibly hard-fought 2013 campaign. Well done to both Jules and Max, who have performed admirably in a tough rookie season, having more than risen to the challenge. Congratulations also to Max for his fantastic record of 19 finishes in 19 races, which is a testament to his skill and the Team's fantastic reliability record. Finally, today's result is about the whole package, and so credit to our powertrain partners, Cosworth and Xtrac, with whom we have worked for four rewarding seasons, as well as our Team Partners and Suppliers who have shared the journey with us."

His Red Bull team mate Mark Webber finished second on an identical strategy, on his final grand prix before moving to endurance racing. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third after choosing a different two-stop strategy, using the hard tyre for his middle stint.

The only other driver to have won nine races in a row before was Alberto Ascari in the 1950s - but this was across two seasons, also using Pirelli tyres.

The biggest challenge all the teams and drivers faced was having no dry running on the hard and medium tyres prior to the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix, due to consistent rain on Friday and Saturday. The race started in dry conditions with ambient temperatures of 20 degrees and track temperatures of 26 degrees, with a 50 per cent chance of rain.

All the drivers got underway on the medium compound tyre apart from McLaren's Jenson Button, who started 14th on the grid, and Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez, who started from 17th. The first driver to switch from the medium to the hard compound was Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne, who came in on lap 10. Button took his first set of mediums on lap 20, the first of the hard tyre starters to stop - and was then back on the medium on lap 43. The strategy helped him to a fourth place finish by the end: his best of the year.

Vettel pitted from the lead on lap 24 for more mediums and re-emerged in front, stopping again for the hard tyre on lap 47: the same lap as his team mate, as Red Bull feared a safety car. Although there was no heavy rain, some drops then started to fall - adding an extra element of uncertainty. The rain became slightly heavier in the closing laps, but not enough for any of the competitors to use the Cinturato Green intermediates.

The tyres performed perfectly in line with expectations despite the varying conditions. There were punctures seen on the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and the Williams of Valtteri Bottas, but this was as the result of contact between the two.

The final record of this season - the last of the V8 engine era - was set by Marussia's Max Chilton, who became the first rookie to finish every race of his debut year.

Paul Hembery: "The fact that there was no dry running prior to the start of the grand prix meant that formulating the right tyre strategy was a matter of educated guesswork for all the teams. And with no rubber having been laid down on the track previously, it was extremely hard to calculate the wear and degradation levels. The weather forecast remained uncertain throughout the race to complicate matters even further, with different teams interpreting the information in various ways. However, they had to bear in mind their obligation to run both compounds if conditions stayed dry - which turned out to be the case. This race has marked the end of an era and now the cars, along with the tyres, change completely for next year. Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull for a record-breaking season, and best of luck for the future to Mark Webber, who ends his distinguished Formula One career here in Brazil."