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It was Rosberg’s fourth win of the season and his seventh in succession, and gives him a 43-point lead in the driver standings. Hamilton, meanwhile, believed he had the pace to win, but yet again saw his challenge compromised as falling water pressure obliged him to back off after he had reduced a 12.9s deficit to 7.5s between laps 23 and 36.
Where the world champion at least finished second this time, however, it was another pure disaster for 2016’s other unlucky man, Sebastian Vettel. He was hit from behind by Chinese nemesis Daniil Kvyat in Turn 2 on the opening lap as he pushed the Ferrari inside Daniel Ricciardo’s sister Red Bull.
Then as Vettel appeared to slow slightly with a resulting rear puncture he was again hit from behind by Kvyat and sent spinning hard into the wall in Turn 3. The Russian was given a 10s stop-go penalty and three penalty points, but Vettel was done.
Ferrari’s scant consolation came with Raikkonen’s subdued third – Ferrari’s 700th podium – in a race at which the Scuderia had expected to match Mercedes.