Rosberg started from pole position and, with double points on offer, could have taken his first F1 title with a win providing Hamilton finished third or lower.
That dream scenario lasted three seconds — the time it took Hamilton to overtake Rosberg, whose race turned into a nightmare. He eventually finished 14th.
Brazilian driver Felipe Massa crossed the line in second place ahead of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo drove superbly to finish fourth despite starting from the back of the grid.
Overall, Hamilton scored 384 points, with Rosberg notching 317 and Ricciardo third with 238.
Although it was a one-sided race, the season was a welcome drivers' contest after Sebastian Vettel beat Fernando Alonso by 155 points last year. Mercedes, however, crushed the competition out of sight, winning 16 of 19 races and securing 18 poles.
