ROSBERG WINS OVER HAMILTON VETTEL IN THIRD

Nico Rosberg takes his first victory of the season with a dominant performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

While Rosberg led into the first corner, Vettel got the jump on Hamilton and forced the reigning World Champion to try an alternate strategy.

Hamilton managed to jump Vettel with a three-stop plan, as opposed to two, to follow Rosberg home and form another Mercedes 1-2.

As the lights went out, Rosberg made an ultra-smooth start, while Hamilton got slightly bogged down, giving Vettel a run to the outside.

Rosberg surged clear as Hamilton struggled in the dirty air of Vettel’s car, prompting Hamilton to make an earlier stop, which was slowed by a sticky left-rear tyre.

Vettel responded next time around and rejoined comfortably ahead of Hamilton, before race leader Rosberg made his first stop from a comfortable lead.

Hamilton then opted to switch to the Hard tyre at the midway point, clearing Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas with ease and posting numerous fastest laps.

Vettel was the next to stop for Primes, followed by Rosberg a few laps later, with Hamilton lapping quickly enough to move into a temporary lead.

Rosberg was released as Hamilton made his third and final stop for a return to Mediums, but Hamilton crucially came back out in second, ahead of Vettel.

Hamilton then set about chasing Rosberg, but with more than 20 seconds to make up, he was advised by his race engineer to back off and save the car.

Vettel took his fourth podium finish in five races for Ferrari, comfortably clear of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, who just fended of Vettel’s team-mate, Kimi Räikkönen.