Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, Russian Grand Prix. Image: Twitter @bbcf1

Nico Rosberg finished first in the Russian Grand Prix, making it seven consecutive wins for the German.

Lewis Hamilton recovered well to come in second, despite qualifying 10th for the race.

So here's how it finished at the #RussianGP 🏁 Another Rosberg/Hamilton 1-2... bbc.in/1r8ustt #F1 https://t.co/wD9S8yGHGF

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BBCF1 (@bbcf1) May 01, 2016

Today is Mercedes’ Rosberg’s fourth win in a row this season, giving him a championship lead of 43 points.

PODIUM LEAP!!! #F1 #RussianGP https://t.co/NVrRCmtuFh

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MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) May 01, 2016

#TrophySelfie #TeamNR6 #winners #RussianGP https://t.co/KNAZEcpR65

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Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) May 01, 2016

Hamilton’s nightmare start to the season continued yesterday, after his Mercedes suffered a hybrid system failure in the practice race.

As  a result he finished 10th on the grid, while fellow Mercedes driver Rosberg took pole position.

Embed from Getty Images

It was the same failure that thwarted him in the Chinese Grand Prix in April, in which he finished seventh and Rosberg first.

Embed from Getty Images

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, had this to say about Hamilton’s engine problems in Sochi:

There is no explanation. It is a mechanical sport and sometimes you run into these really awful series and this is happening to Lewis at the moment

Despite this run of bad luck, Hamilton’s determination was evident in his great recovery this afternoon.

Mid-race he closed the gap significantly between him and ever dominant Nico Rosberg, until an engine water pressure issue forced him to back off.

"That's the first time we've seen Lewis Hamilton crack." Listen: bbc.in/1rqkvYH #RussianGP #F1 https://t.co/Aqplzix0Fj

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BBCF1 (@bbcf1) May 01, 2016

Lewis Hamilton wasn’t the only driver to suffer some bad luck today.

In a dramatic opening lap Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel crashed out after Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat collided with him twice.

Kvyat rammed Vettel’s car from behind at the second corner and again at the third.

The second clash caused Vettel to a spin into the barriers and ended the German’s race.

Kvyat was given a 10-second stop-go penalty.

Carnage at the start of the #RussianGP... Listen to how it went down here bbc.in/21npHc9 #F1 https://t.co/FQejNoRwta

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BBCF1 (@bbcf1) May 01, 2016