Nico Rosberg Produces Plucky Performance to Win the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix

Where did that come from?

Just seven days ago, Nico Rosberg looked for all the world like a beaten man standing on the second step of the United States Grand Prix beneath Lewis Hamilton, his Mercedes team-mate and 2014 championship rival, who in stark contrast looked to have the world at his feet.

Hamilton, in winning at the Circuit of the Americas, had just established a personal-best record of five consecutive victories—overtaking Nigel Mansell, the 1992 world champion—to become the most successful British driver of all time in terms of race wins and, most significantly, to extend his lead over Rosberg in the drivers' standings to 24 points.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

The German, having squandered the race win only 24 hours after setting a convincing pole position, seemed unable to escape the Hamilton trap, finding his championship challenge blunted and his confidence eroded by the consistent, wearying brilliance of the man on the other side of the garage.

Whatever Nico would do, Lewis would respond. No matter what question was asked, there would always be an answer.

With such a short turnaround between the Austin event and the Brazilian Grand Prix, the chances of Rosberg flushing the negativity of that five-race run out of his system, overturning the form book and providing an answer of his own were slim to say the least—but remarkably it is exactly what he did.

The former Williams driver had spoken of changes to his approach in the lead-up to the race at Interlagos, telling Sky Sports' Pete Gill on Saturday:

"

I know what l need to improve, I didn’t find my rhythm in Austin. Anyway, it’s a different situation here with a different track and we’ve done a lot of long runs. We've practiced a lot more for the race this weekend, including this morning in Practice Three, and I was feeling comfortable.

"

That recaptured rhythm and renewed sense of comfort was translated on to the track across the entire weekend, with Rosberg topping each of the seven individual sessions: all three practice sessions, all three qualifying segments and, of course, the grand prix itself.

A win was the only possible result for the German at Interlagos, with the Brazilian Grand Prix representing his last chance to provide Hamilton with food for thought ahead of the lottery that is the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will see double points awarded to the top-10 finishers, later this month.

As important as the result was for Rosberg, however, the victory in Brazil—which has cut Hamilton's points lead to just 17 with a maximum of 50 available at the season finale—was his first since he won on home soil in mid-July. The manner of his performance would have been most satisfying.

Throughout this season, Rosberg has displayed a degree of vulnerability whenever he has contested a straight fight with Hamilton, who is almost universally regarded as the more accomplished racer of the two Mercedes drivers.

This has led to the German launching unconvincing attacks in Bahrain and Spain—making race-deciding mistakes in Italy and Russia and relinquishing the lead with little fuss in Japan and the United States, with each of those grand prixs contributing to Hamilton's tally of 10 victories in 2014.

In Brazil, however, Rosberg added a certain steeliness to his driving, which was at the root of his return to the top step of the podium for the first time in eight events.

Not only did Rosberg absorb the pressure exerted by his team-mate for the best part of 71 laps, but he applied some of his own, forcing Hamilton to stay out for two extra laps ahead of his second pit stop in the hope of jumping the No. 6 car.

That led to the British driver's spin at Turn 4 on Lap 28, which—as he later explained to Autosport's Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer—ultimately decided the race in the German's favour.

Despite being afforded some breathing space due to Hamilton's mistake, Rosberg faced a final onslaught after the final round of stops had been completed on Lap 51, with a 20-lap sprint to the finish between the Mercedes drivers.

It was here where the German's rhythm, nerve and indeed his world-championship credentials would be put to the ultimate test, with the slightest of mistakes bound to open the door for Hamilton.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Yet, this time, there were no lockups. No momentary losses of control. No scruffiness.

And no surrender.

Rosberg hit every apex, perfected every braking zone, nailed every acceleration point and calmly negotiated the lapped traffic, starving his title rival of a chance to barge past.

Despite being beaten in Brazil, Hamilton requires a mere second-place finish to secure his second world championship in a fortnight's time.

Yet Rosberg's assertive, unruffled performance at Interlagos will give the German a surge in belief ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race that will be won in the head as much as on the track.