Rosberg looks to build on great start

Championship leader Nico Rosberg heads to Sochi Autodrom with three straight wins in 2016 under his belt but Brackley team-mate Lewis Hamilton has endured a testing start to the season.

Team boss Toto Wolff said: We may have made a solid start but at this stage it’s about collecting points without looking too much at the championship. We are just three races down with 18 still to go.

“I have no doubt that we will see a close fight on all fronts right up to the end of the season. Both drivers are in a good place mentally.

“Nico is on great form but keeping his feet firmly on the ground. Lewis would have every right to feel disheartened by his start to the season but he is calm and confident, handling adversity like a true champion.”

Rosberg said: “It’s great to see that we still have the quickest car out there and, of course, it’s always the plan to win every race. But I would never have expected the first three weekends to go the way they have.

“I’ve made the most of my opportunities and I have a bit of an advantage in the points right now. But we are only three races down and it would just take one bad weekend for that gap to disappear.”

Hamilton added: “after all these years, experience has taught me to stay calm and keep pushing forwards when I get knocked back. I’ve been here before a few times now.

“A lot can happen over the next 18 race weekends and I have the utmost confidence in this team.

“But adversity is part of the journey, it brings us closer, makes us stronger and I know that together we’ll bounce back, so I’m confident of better weekends to come. There are lots of positives to carry into the next battle.”