TNT Sports
F1 driver power rankings: Rosberg still misses out on top spot
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Published 02/05/2016 at 19:08 GMT+1
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.
Eurosport
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The rest of the grid
Keith Collantine is the editor of Formula One blog F1 Fanatic
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