The German lost some places towards the end of the race after his tyres began to drop off, but up to that point he and his Grove-based outfit were having a stellar weekend.
”I think [this] is a good outcome because I believe we are faster than a couple of the cars who finished ahead of us today, so from a championship perspective, it looks okay,†he maintained.
The young charger – son of 1982 world champion Keke – also set the fastest lap of the race but was unable to capitalise on the misfortune of others in a high-attrition race.
Williams technical director Sam Michael reinforced the team’s upbeat attitude, despite Rosberg’s team mate Kazuki Nakajima’s exit on lap 17.
“We showed encouraging pace in today s race and when the car was in clear traffic, we were as quick as anyone,†he said.
“Nico recorded the fastest lap of the race and did a good job.
“But we made too many mistakes as a team today and we will be looking to make a better job of what the car offers at the next race in Malaysia.”