Nico Rosberg clinches European Grand Prix win in Baku to extend Formula One championship lead as his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton is hindered by team radio ban
- Nico Rosberg claimed his fifth victory of the Formula One season with a comfortable European Grand Prix win
- Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating afternoon at the Baku City Circuit after disastrous qualifying session
- Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished second while Sergio Perez, the Force India driver, came third on Sunday
- German Rosberg extended his championship lead over reigning world champions Hamilton to 24 points
- Click here for more Formula One news, features and points tables
Passion, vitality and speed. Those were the themes of the colourful opening ceremony for the European Grand Prix.
To say the main event did not quite live up to that billing is an understatement and Lewis Hamilton was certainly not feeling the force.
No safety cars, no accidents, no drama for Nico Rosberg who led throughout to claim his fifth win of the season and extend his lead over his Mercedes team-mate to 24 points in the drivers' standings.
Nico Rosberg celebrates by climbing on his Mercedes and holding his arms aloft after winning the European Grand Prix in Baku
Standing on his car, Rosberg milks the applause from his Mercedes mechanics as he claimed his fifth grand prix win of the season
Rosberg leaps with delight in front of a TV camera after securing a victory that extends his Formula One championship lead to 24 points
Rosberg performs another victory leap on the podium in front of second-placed Sebastian Vettel (left) and Sergio Perez
'The weekend went perfectly,' said Rosberg. 'It was really awesome so I'm very happy. I'm enjoying this win, big celebrations.'
The German made it three wins from three when starting from pole this season, as Hamilton endured a frustrating afternoon.
The three-time world champion's bid to secure an unlikely victory was hampered by a set-up error on his Mercedes with prompted angry exchanges over team radio. It left Hamilton powerless to stop Rosberg's coast to victory as he laboured home in fifth. Mercedes' Niki Lauda confirmed after the race that both cars had the problem, with Rosberg able to fix it faster than his team-mate.
'The problem, both cars had, and Nico fixed it quicker than Lewis could,' he said. 'I don't want to blame Lewis for it because it is rather complicated driving and understanding what is going on.
The day had not started well for Hamilton before he had even got into his car. If starting 10th was bad enough, it looked as though the Briton would have to start on the set of tyres he flat-spotted badly during the second part of his error-strewn qualifying session.
However, the FIA allowed him to swap the front-left tyre from that set for an undamaged one on safety grounds.
An already mixed-up grid was made so further before lights out as Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and Renault's Kevin Magnussen were handed five-place grid penalties. Both changed their gearboxes, meaning they started from 18th and the pit-lane respectively.
Vettel shows a wry smile after finishing second in Azerbaijan with the Ferrari driver still looking for his first victory of the 2016 season
Sergio Perez shows his delight having passed Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on the final lap to take third place for Force India-Mercedes
Perez celebrates his podium with his mechanics, his second in three races following a third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix
The Baku City Circuit's unique blend of long straights and narrow kinks seemed certain to produce drama but it wasn't to be. Hamilton was one of many drivers to fall foul of the new layout in Azerbaijan on Friday and Saturday and spoke of the need to avoid 'a turn one tangle' after his qualifying disappointment.
Once bitten, twice shy, Hamilton did just that, as he and the rest of the field tip-toed their way off the line. It was as you were at the front once turn one had been negotiated as Rosberg led from Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, with Hamilton still down in 10th.
The three-time world champion had insisted a win 'was not impossible' on Saturday night but it quickly became so with Rosberg eight seconds ahead of his team-mate after the first lap alone.
The Mercedes has been in a class of its own here all weekend long and Hamilton was expected to claim plenty of early scalps on the giant 2.1km main straight.
He did so, passing Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen at turn one in the first four laps to make his way up to eighth.
Further progress was made past Williams pair Valterri Bottas and Felipe Massa and Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull but that was as good as it got for Hamilton.
Sergio Perez – one of the few to make a move off the line, going from seventh to fifth – was next up the road but Hamilton had little chance of passing the Mexican as his technical woes saw him drop 15 seconds behind the Force India.
An incorrect engine setting meant Hamilton was down on power. There was nothing he could do and, as per this year's new regulations, nothing his Mercedes team could say to help him.
'This is ridiculous guys, I don't know,' said Hamilton. 'I'm looking at my fricking dash every five seconds trying to find a switch in the wrong position. I've not changed anything or done anything wrong that I'm aware of.'
Formula One championship leader Rosberg (right) eased to victory in the European Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton, pictured racing on the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan for the first time, struggled with a lack of pace with his Mercedes
A general view of the Baku City Circuit as Formula One star Hamilton looks to climb up the grid in Azerbaijan on Sunday
Reigning Formula One world champion Hamilton (left) endured a frustrating qualifying session and started from 10th on grid on Sunday
'There is nothing you are doing wrong, just a setting that is incorrect. I'm afraid I can't say,' came the response. I might not finish this race as I'm going to try and change everything,' said Hamilton.
'We do not advise that Lewis,' said his engineer. Can I make suggestions and you say if it's OK or not?,' said Hamilton.
'No, that's not allowed. Let's just got our heads down and focus on the job,' they said.
He did just that and the power returned but it was too late. Perez, who has impressed all weekend long, was not to be caught. He past Kimi Raikkonen at the start of the final lap to claim a deserved podium. The Mexican had qualified in second but started in seventh after receiving a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox following a crash in Saturday's final practice session.
Mercedes star Rosberg had a very easy afternoon as he clinched his fifth victory of the 2016 Formula One season in Azerbaijan
Sebastian Vettel (pictured) finished second, with Force India's Sergio Perez claiming third after overtaking Kimi Raikkonen on the final lap
Perez overtook Raikkonen late in the European Grand Prix to secure a podium finish on Formula One's inaugural visit to Azerbaijan
Max Verstappen, who secured an historic Spanish Grand Prix victory last month, pictured leading Hamilton during Sunday's race
McLaren were forced to retire Fernando Alonso late in the race due to mechanical problems - his team-mate Jenson Button finished 11th
Raikkonen finished fourth but had a similarly frustrating afternoon to that of Hamilton. The Finn was handed a five-second time penalty for crossing the white line at the entry to the pit-lane before being told to let team-mate Sebastian Vettel through on lap 28.
Vettel collected some stray plastic early on but recovered to finish second. That was where Ricciardo had started but both Red Bull's struggled to manage their tyres, with the Australian seventh, one place ahead of team-mate Verstappen.
'Circuit is incredible,' said Vettel. 'A great job for us.'
Hamilton's fellow Brits made progress but could not register any points, with Jenson Button 11th for McLaren and Jolyon Palmer 15th for Renault.
A marshall waves an Azerbaijan flag as the drivers parade passes on th erace circuit before the European Formula One Grand Prix
Grid girls pose at the Baku City Circuit in what was the inaugural race held in Azerbaijan under the banner of the European Grand Prix
Grid girls pose at the Baku City Circuit as they waited for the drivers ahead of the drivers' parade around the track before the race
Perez poses inside the Force India garage with Spanish singer songwriter Enrique Iglesias as they hold a Formula One steering wheel
A track marshall shows his support for Hamilton by holding up a banner in support of the triple world champion before the race
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-3649097/Nico-Rosberg-clinches-European-Grand-Prix-win-Baku-extend-Formula-One-championship-lead-Mercedes-team-mate-Lewis-Hamilton-hindered-team-radio-ban.html#ixzz4C2vY2IKI
