F1 GP Russia: Poker Rosberg wins again and reaches 100 points in the standings

Nico Rosberg hits the ground running in Russia and takes home pole position, victory and fastest lap, taking the top step of the podium for the fourth consecutive time this season. The German of Mercedes he masterfully managed the 53 laps of the race, starting without a hitch and leaving behind his rivals' cars, which were engaged in a simulation of bumper cars behind him.
In fact, at the first corners all hell broke loose immediately, with Kvyat which put an end to the race Hag after a few meters. Hamilton from the bottom of the top ten he climbs up and finishes second, but fails to catch the elusive Nico, while an excellent Raikkonen gives the third step to the disconsolate Red fans. Followed by Bottas, Massa, Alonso, Magnussen, Grosjean, Perez and Button.

News – The top ten all start on used supersoft compounds, new for everyone else and soft for Ericsson and Hulkenberg. Training tour completed. The traffic lights go out. Start with a bang in Sochi, with Nico Rosberg starting from pole undisturbed, while all hell immediately breaks loose behind him at the first corner. The loser is Vettel's Ferrari, which is touched several times by Kvyat's Red Bull and with a punctured tire ends up against the barriers at turn 3. Race over for the German and a radio team as furious as ever.
Meanwhile, at the start Raikkonen managed to pass Bottas' Williams and Hamilton further behind immediately climbed up to fifth position. The VSC immediately comes into play and then the safety comes out putting everyone back in line. Rosberg leads the group ahead of Raikkonen, Bottas, Massa, Hamilton, Verstappen, Alonso, Groskjean, Magnussen and Palmer. The two Red Bulls, who switch to medium, and Ericsson, Gutierrez and Perez take advantage of this to immediately enter the pits.
At the start from the rear, Hulkenberg was also involved in an accident and Force India was forced to retire.

On lap 4 the safety comes back and Bottas immediately attacks Raikkonen, snatching second place from him. Hamilton takes fourth place over Massa.
The accident between Vettel and Kvyat is put under investigation with the Russian getting 10 seconds of stop and go.
On lap 7 Raikkonen is in Bottas' exhaust but Hamilton takes advantage of it and thus passes the Red. On lap 9 drive through for Gutierrez's Haas, also due to an accident at the start.

Retirement also for the Manor of Haryanto, while Sainz switches to the yellow compound in the pits.
On lap 15 Rosberg is leader ahead of Bottas, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa, Verstappen, Alonso, Grosjean, Magnussen and Button. Everyone still has to stop for tire changes. Bottas is the first to do so, switching to the softs. Hamilton follows him two laps later, soft for him too and he returns to seventh place behind Bottas. Massa stops to put on the softs, and Hamilton takes fifth place on Bottas' Williams and therefore also fourth place on Alonso.
On lap 21 pit stop for Raikkonen, and soft tyre, who returns ahead of Bottas. Rosberg rejoins the following lap and maintains the lead with the yellow compound. Followed by Verstappen, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Massa, Perez, Ericsson, Alonso and Ricciardo.
Verstappen is the last to stop and falls behind Perez while Alonso passes Ericsson's Sauber.

Sainz is being investigated for overtaking Palmer, while Rosberg has a 13-second lead over Hamilton in front. Button takes twelfth place over Palmer, Alonso is seventh in the points.
On lap 33 Rosberg finds himself struggling with the lapped leaders and loses a bit of an advantage over Hamilton. With twenty laps to go the German is still in the lead followed by Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Massa, Verstappen, Alonso, Magnussen, Grosjean and Perez.
On lap 34 Verstappen's Toro Rosso retired with its engine smoking. Hamilton also finds himself in front of the lapped drivers and via radio they inform him of a problem with the water pressure which, however, stabilizes in the following laps, even if in the meantime Rosberg has extended his lead again.

Massa made the second pit stop and mounted the supersofts again, returning fifth ahead of Alonso. Button is fighting with Sainz and manages to take the last place in the points in just a couple of laps. Ricciardo passes Palmer and climbs to 12th, while Rosberg heads undisturbed towards the finish line and goes on to win by a landslide, setting the fastest lap of 1:39.094, the Russian Grand Prix.
Behind him Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Massa, Alonso, Magnussen, Grosjean, Perez and Button.

F1 GP Russia – Race times and results
1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1h32m41.997s
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 25.022s
3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 31.998s
4 Valtteri Bottas Williams/Mercedes 50.217s
5 Felipe Massa Williams/Mercedes 1m14.427s
6 Fernando Alonso McLaren/Honda 1 Lap
7 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1 Lap
8 Romain Grosjean Haas/Ferrari 1 Lap
9 Sergio Perez Force India/Mercedes 1 Lap
10 Jenson Button McLaren/Honda Lap 1
11 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull/TAG Heuer 1 Lap
12 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso/Ferrari 1 Lap
13 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1 Lap
14 Marcus Ericsson Sauber/Ferrari 1 Lap
15 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull/TAG Heuer 1 Lap
16 Felipe Nasr Sauber/Ferrari 1 Lap
17 Esteban Gutierrez Haas/Ferrari 1 Lap
18 Pascal Wehrlein Manor/Mercedes 2 Laps
– Max Verstappen Toro Rosso/Ferrari Retirement
– Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Accident
– Rio Haryanto Manor/Mercedes Accident
– Nico Hulkenberg Force India/Mercedes Accident