GERMAN Nico Rosberg steered clear of the chaos unfolding behind him to cruise to an unchallenged victory in a disrupted Belgian Grand Prix yesterday.

    His Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, the world championship leader, finished third from the back row of the grid, behind Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

    “It’s been a great weekend, very, very happy with that result,” Rosberg said after his 20th career win. “Congrats to Lewis, last place to third must be pretty impressive.”

    The pole-sitting Rosberg kept the lead at the start and was never headed, after his main rivals, fellow front-row starter Max Verstappen and the Ferrari pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, collided at the first corner.

    That elevated Ricciardo, starting fifth, to second and the Australian kept that place until the end, crossing the line 14.1 seconds behind the triumphant Rosberg at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

    Hamilton started from the back row with Fernando Alonso, after both incurred multiple grid penalties for extra engine part changes at the weekend.

    “Lewis wasn’t out there to battle it out, so that made it an easier weekend,” Rosberg said. “It all worked out fine.”

    Red Bull’s Verstappen was involved in a first-turn collision with Raikkonen and Vettel that shaped the race.

    It had a beneficial effect on Hamilton and McClaren’s Alonso, who avoided the early carnage in front of them, then gained places when the safety car came out after Danish driver Kevin Magnussen’s crash. The race was briefly halted with nine of the 44 laps completed after the crash for Magnussen, who lost control of his Renault as he crested the fearsome Eau Rouge.

    The Dane, who was taken to hospital for routine checks after suffering a small cut to his left ankle, slammed violently into the barriers. Officials deployed first the safety car then the red flag as marshals worked to repair the damage.

    The win was Rosberg’s sixth of the season, but first since June’s European Grand Prix, and it cut the deficit to Hamilton to nine points in the standings.

    (SD-Agencies)