F1 driver power rankings: Rosberg still misses out on top spot

ByEurosport

Updated 02/05/2016 at 17:08 GMT

Seven wins on the trot, and still Nico Rosberg can't top Keith Collantine's F1 driver rankings. Here's his take on the Chinese GP.

Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates his victory with the team

Image credit: Reuters

Nico Rosberg claimed his third win in as many races at the start of the 2016 season, but it's another driver who tops our Sochi GP power rankings.

1 - Kevin Magnussen (up 11)

Top spot to a driver who didn't make it out of Q1? It's doubtful the Renault was quick enough to. But Magnussen capitalised on the first-corner chaos and made up another place by pitting earlier than Grosjean, then held the Ferrari-powered Haas off until the chequered flag.

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2 - Nico Rosberg (up 1)

Another weekend which was hard to fault but did not see Rosberg tested against the best of the competition - notably his team-mate. A rapid Q2 lap showed he was a serious contender for pole position, and he managed an MGU-K glitch en route to another win.

3 - Lewis Hamilton (up 3)

He may well have been quicker than his team-mate, we just never got to see it thanks to another power unit problem in qualifying. Another glitch in the race halted his attempt to catch Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - GP of Russia 2016

Image credit: AFP

4 - Fernando Alonso (up 4)

Claimed his first points of the season at a track which did not flatter the McLaren, thanks largely to a great start. Banged in a few impressive laps at the end, too.

5 - Valtteri Bottas (up 9)

Deserved a podium finish for his sterling efforts which included a front-row start. Losing a position to Hamilton was inevitable, but he was unlucky it also cost him a place to Raikkonen.

6 - Max Verstappen (down 4)

Bravely hung around the outside of turn three to make useful gains on lap one. He was running a solid sixth when his power unit cried enough.

Scuderia Toro Rosso's Belgian-Dutch driver Max Verstappen attends the drivers press conference ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit in the desert south of the Bahraini capital, Manama, on March 31, 2016.

Image credit: AFP

7 - Romain Grosjean (up 13)

Despite being puzzled by a loss of grip in his chassis since round two, Grosjean made it into Q2 and out-qualified his team-mate again. He stayed out of trouble at the start and having climbed into the top 10 stayed there until the flag, though the team were out-foxed by Magnussen and Renault.

8 - Felipe Massa (down 1)

Was in the shadow of his team-mate Bottas all weekend but brought home useful points for fifth.

9 - Sebastian Vettel (no change)

The first among many drivers with reason to be furious with Daniil Kvyat following the first lap chaos. Vettel was quick enough for a spot on the front row but a gearbox change left him seventh. He was poised to pass Ricciardo when Kvyat hit him, then dispatched him into a wall.

Sebastian Vettel's crash in Sochi (Sky F1 screengrab)

Image credit: Eurosport

10 - Daniel Ricciardo (down 9)

His race was also ruined by Kvyat. A subsequent switch to medium tyres might have paid off had his car not lost downforce due to the damage incurred in that first-lap incident.