Nico Rosberg extended his lead in the Formula One World Championship with his fourth win of the season in Russia.
Here, we look at five things we learned from the Sochi race.
1. Nico Rosberg insisted his seventh successive Formula One victory was not an "open-goal" win, but it was hard to agree with the championship leader. With Sebastian Vettel crashing out on the first lap and Lewis Hamilton's challenge, which started from 10th, curtailed by yet another engine problem, Mercedes driver Rosberg as in each of the three previous races this season, was afforded a rather easy win. Indeed it could be argued that Rosberg, whose two pole positions this year have also come with team-mate Hamilton out of the frame, has won four races without pulling off a single overtaking manoeuvre.
2. The conspiracy theorists were out en mass following yet another car failure for Hamilton in Sunday's race. The suggestion is that Mercedes are sabotaging his season in a bid to pave the way for Rosberg - a German driver - to win the title for a German team. Toto Wolff said it was a school of thought assembled by "a bunch of lunatics", and of course he is right. Mercedes chartered a private jet from their base in Brixworth to Sochi with replacement engine parts just so Hamilton would avoid a pit-lane start. His mechanics then worked through the night assembling the engine. Wolff explained: "It was a team effort from many people involved. Niki Lauda organised the plane. Paddy Lowe's assistant sorted out the airport, and Bernie Ecclestone sorted the customs." Wolff added with a smile: "The plane landed with the box (of parts) and within 90 seconds the box was in the car. I don't want to know how he (Ecclestone) sorted that."
3. Hamilton must be praised for his admirable response to a season fraught with difficulties, but it appeared on Sunday, that another car failure, this time a water leak from within his Mercedes engine, was starting to take its toll. The world champion dodged spraying any champagne on the podium, and then cut a rather sombre figure in his post-race media duties. But while the 43 point-gap is now a hefty one, there are still 17 races and a possible 425 points to play for. Indeed with Rosberg the bookies' favourite, perhaps now may be a good time to place a wager on Hamilton.
4. Daniil Kvyat will want to forget his home race in a hurry. The young Russian was the centre of attention in front of his home support after hitting Sebastian Vettel not once, but twice, on the opening lap - the force of the second impact causing the Ferrari driver to crash out. Vettel then turned the air blue swearing six times in a balmy rant over the team radio. A red-faced Kvyat later revealed he called Vettel, who made a hasty exit from the Sochi Autodrom following his first-lap retirement, to apologise. But with Vettel 67 points adrift of Rosberg, the conversation probably did little to numb the four-time champion's pain.
5. McLaren secured their first double-points finish since last year's Hungarian Grand Prix - an unwanted streak of 12 races - after Fernando Alonso crossed the line in sixth and Jenson Button passed Carlos Sainz in the closing stages to finish 10th. This should hardly be cause for wild celebrations for a team which has won 12 driver championships, but there is now an air of optimism at least that their dark days of last season are now firmly in the past.
Source: PA
