Nico Rosberg may have extended his lead at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship to 43 points in Russia on Sunday, but he remains wary of the threat posed by Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton heading into the rest of the season.
Rosberg went wire-to-wire in Sochi on Sunday to claim his seventh straight grand prix victory, a record that only three other drivers have matched in the history of F1.
Hamilton battled his way from P10 on the grid to finish second behind Rosberg, but was powerless to stop the German from extending his title advantage.
However, Rosberg is refusing to get ahead of himself, saying that there are still 17 races remaining in the season and plenty of chances for Hamilton to fight back.
“A great job from Lewis to come up to second so quickly from down in 10th,” Rosberg said.
“I was always aware of what he was doing and trying to keep the gap as big as possible.
“It’s four races from 21. Lewis is going to come back of course. He’s still on it and motivated as ever. Early days. Just taking it race by race.
“Looking forward to Spain now. We have such an incredible car that’s amazing to drive. Just want to try and win races.”
Rosberg recorded his first career ‘grand slam’ by scoring pole position, the fastest lap and the race win while leading every lap, maintaining a rapid pace to the very end despite enjoying a sizeable lead.
“I just like to do it for concentration,” Rosberg said of his late pace.
“If you slow down you make mistakes. I was enjoying it out there, just flat out to the end.
“[It] felt very special out there. Very happy. Thanks to everybody. Thanks to all of you in Russia. The sport is growing here. 60,000 of you, amazing. Great atmosphere. It’s been a great weekend.”
