Rosberg holds off Hamilton for Brazil win

After a nail-biting race, Nico Rosberg has kept himself in contention for the 2014 world championship title by clinching victory in the Brazil GP, despite a valiant effort by Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg has narrowed the gap in the fight for the title with Hamilton, who is now just 17 points ahead of him; but with 50 points on offer in the Abu Dhabi GP two weeks from now, even if Rosberg should repeat his brilliant performance, Hamilton can still win the title if he finishes second.

From the start of the Brazil GP, Rosberg held his advantage and led through until the second round of pit stops when Hamilton closed in fast. The Brit set a record for the fastest lap of the race, but then made a crucial error – rather than pitting immediately, he continued on worn tyres. “I locked the rear and went wide. No-one's mistake but mine," he said later. He went into a half spin on Turn 4 and, although recovering quickly, came out of it with a 7.4 second gap to overcome. And try he did, closing that gap down to less than two seconds by the third and final stop. Nonetheless, Rosberg was able to fend off his teammate until the end.

Other news that emerged during the weekend was that Fernando Alonso will be moving from Ferrari to McLaren next season, which raised some eyebrows considering the tense history between the Spaniard and the team during their brief stint together in 2007. But Alonso is the best available driver and McLaren is the only available top level ride for 2015. Four-time titleholder Sebastian Vettel, whose winning streak with Red Bull has halted this season, will take Alonso’s seat in Ferrari next year.

And in a controversial bid to rejoin the race in Abu Dhabi, cash-strapped Caterham administrators turned to crowdfunding to raise £2.35 million in order to make the season finale. Fans can contribute a minimum of £1 in exchange for a 'thank you', car parts, merchandise and even dinner with one of their drivers, Kamui Kobayashi or Marcus Ericsson. Within 48 hours, the scheme had raised a million pounds. The move was condemned by Bernie Ecclestone, who called it a “disaster” for the sport’s branding. 

image: telegraph.co.uk