Despite his third defeat on the trot, Hamilton insisted it wouldn’t take the shine off his season.
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The German, who started on pole position, posted a winning time of one hour 38 minutes 30.175 seconds with Hamilton 8.271 seconds behind and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen claiming third, 19.430 adrift.
“I don’t know. We have to do an intelligent list over the next couple of weeks to try to analyse”.
The results by the top four finalise the top four finishers for 2015, with Hamilton and Rosberg followed by Vettel and Raikkonen.
Hamilton added: “The gap was way too big, we left it too big, particularly on the same tyres there is no way you are going to be able to catch that gap up”.
“Of course, it’s too late but I don’t look back”. He said: “I think in hindsight once Nico pitted I should probably have backed off a little bit and I would have made those tyres go a lot longer”.
Prior to the second stops Hamilton had closed the gap to Rosberg to 1.3 seconds, but, having finally made his final tyre change, he re-emerged from the pits with the gap having grown to 12.5 seconds.
It marked the 12th one-two finish for Mercedes this season, eclipsing the record they set past year.
Stewart, 76, was at the Austin race to congratulate Hamilton, who has dominated the sport this season, on his achievement. But it was down to the team which tire we went to for the final stint.
Hamilton wrapped up the title at the United States Grand Prix in Texas last month but has had to play an increasingly irritated second fiddle to German rival Rosberg over the remaining three rounds. “It is just great to end the season this way”.
“I’m really excited about how the season went”, Rosberg, who started from the pole, said. This kind of season, they need to make more sense about what they are doing because I don’t see this in WEC, MotoGP and other categories that are much more fun than us. “I am happy. I am happy it is over for sure”.
Mexican driver Sergio Perez (Force India), was fifth and Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) finished the season’s last race at sixth. “But we gave it a try and did the best job I could with it”.
Felipe Massa of Williams was eighth, Romain Grosjean ninth in his last race for Lotus before moving to 2016 newcomer Haas, and Daniil Kvyat of Red Bull took the last point in 10th. Maldonado retired immediately with broken suspension, while Alonso could continue, but had to pit for a new front wing.
Alonso was held responsible by stewards and given a pit drive-through penalty.
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He did not, but he finished one lap down and ahead of only the Manor pair of Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi.
