Mercedes F1 drivers get back to business

Formula One returned to business as usual Sunday as Nico Rosberg led Lewis Hamilton at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria, for the sixth 1-2 finish by Mercedes.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo won the Canadian GP two weeks ago and Williams’ Felipe Massa took the pole position for Sunday’s race, but this had little effect on Mercedes, which had missed out on the front row of the grid for the first time this season.

“I was still very confident going into the race and knew I could win starting from third,” said Rosberg, who celebrated his third win of the year and sixth overall as he extended his lead in the drivers’ championship over Hamilton to 29 points – 165 vs. 136.

“I am extremely happy,” the German said. “Extending my lead was the main goal coming into this race.”

Williams’ Valtteri Bottas came in third for his first career F1 podium while teammate Massa took fourth.

Rosberg succeeded where his father, Keke, had failed 32 years ago, when he came up 0.05 short of Elio de Angelis at the 1982 Austrian GP.

However, Keke Rosberg went on to become world champion that year, a feat Nico Rosberg is reluctant to think about yet.

“Twenty-nine is a nice gap but it’s still so early in the season,” he said.

NHRA

Ron Capps raced to his first victory of the season and 41st overall, beating Alexis DeJoria in the Funny Car final in the NHRA New England Nationals at Epping, N.H.

Capps had a winning run of 4.095 seconds at 315.19 mph in his Dodge Charger.

Tony Schumacher won in Top Fuel and Dave Connolly in Pro Stock.