Nico Rosberg dominated Sunday’s 2016 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix after a Sochi race in which his main rivals struck trouble. Team mate Lewis Hamilton fought his way up from 10th on the grid to secure a Mercedes one-two, as Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium.

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.

Valtteri Bottas was strong initially despite losing second place on the opening lap to Raikkonen; the Williams driver got that back after a safety car intervention because of Vettel’s accident and a resultant Turn 2 clash further back between Haas’s Esteban Gutierrez, the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber and Rio Haryanto’s Manor, as racing resumed on the fourth lap.

But soon both Hamilton, who had jumped Massa at the restart, then Raikkonen, deposed the white car, leaving Williams to take fourth and fifth with Bottas leading team mate Felipe Massa home.