Rosberg run continues

Nico Rosberg clinched his seventh straight Formula One victory - his fourth of the season - with a dominant pole-to-flag display in the Russian Grand Prix, finishing 12 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg now has a commanding 43-point lead ahead Hamilton, who had fought his way onto the podium after a power unit failure in qualifying forced him down to tenth on the grid.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonnen finished third, just ahead of Williams pair Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, with Sebastian Vettel dumped out of the race by Red Bull’s Daniil Kyvat, who also collided with Vettel on the opening lap of the Chinese Grand Prix.

There was no disguising the German's anger as he delivered an expletive-strewn tirade over the Ferrari team radio while around him cars slithered and crashed amid flying debris.

After he had cooled down he said when asked about Kvyat. "I don't dislike him. I think he did a mistake two weeks ago and I think he did a mistake today... but it should not be like this. Will I speak to him? No, that is for someone else to do..."

Rosberg becomes only of only four men to have reeled off seven straight wins, joining Italian Alberto Ascari and Germans Michael Schumacher and Vettel.

Hamilton avoided the carnage of the first lap multiple collision that eliminated the luckless Vettel to sear through the field and, briefly, threaten a challenge for the lead.

Hamilton's race, however, was stymied by further mechanical problems. He had suffered an engine failure in qualifying on Saturday and he was forced to nurse his Mercedes home 25 seconds behind the rampant Rosberg.

Fernando Alonso came home a much-improved sixth for McLaren ahead of Kevin Magnussen of Renault, Romain Grosjean for Haas, Sergio Perez of Force India and 2009 champion Jenson Button who was 10th in the second McLaren.