Race Notes - Rosberg takes Singapore

Nico Rosberg took his 200th career F1 start from pole, and won the Singapore Grand Prix tonight. Daniel Ricciardo closed on Rosberg in the closing laps to finish only half a second behind in his Red Bull to finish second.

Lewis Hamilton finished in third, 8 seconds behind the winner.

The win is Rosbergs eighth of the season.

Kimi Raikkonen (10.2s) finished in fourth in his Ferrari, while his team mate Vettel (27.6s), after starting in 22nd, finished fifth. Max Verstappen (1m11.1s) in the second Red Bull was sixth, Fernando Alonso (1m29.1s) in his McLaren-Honda was seventh, Sergio Perez (1m51,0s) in his Force India-Mercedes was ninth and Kevin Magnussen (1m59.9s) in the Renault finished in the final points position in tenth place.

Before the start, everyone but the Red Bulls starting on the ultra soft tyres.

Grosjean doesnt start due to brake issues.

The cars come around to the start and the lights go out and the race starts with Rosberg taking the lead from Ricciardo, Hamilton and Raikkonen. Hulkenberg and Sainz touch and Hulkenberg spins into the wall and is out - the safety car is deployed.

Buttons front wing is damaged while Bottas has a puncture. The safety car leads the cars through the pits as Hulkenbergs damaged car is on the start straight.

At the end of lap 2 the safety car comes in, and the race resumes Rosberg is still leading Ricciardo Hamilton, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kvyat, Sainz, Verstappen, Massa and Magnussen in tenth.

On lap 5 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m51.838s.

Vettel passes Ocon and then Wehrlein for 15th.

On lap 6 Ricciardo takes fast lap at 1m51.787s, while Sainz is called in for having some bodywork hanging from his car as a result of his early contact.

Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m51.284s and runs with a 3.1s lead.

Mercedes asks Rosberg to take care of his brakes.

A lap latter Mercedes tells Hamilton the same.

At lap 10 Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 4.5s followed by Hamilton (7.2s), Raikkonen (10.5s), Alonso (19.2s), Kvyat (20.8s), Verstappen (23.0s), Massa (25.1s), Magnussen (30.2s) and Gutierrez (31.3s) in tenth place.

Ocon is handed a 5-second penalty for passing during the safety car.

On lap 12 Ferrari tells Raikkonen to push Hamilton ahead of him because of his brake isseus.

On lap 14 Verstappen is the first to pit from seventh and takes another set of super soft tyres.

Alonso pits the next lap for super soft tyres.

On lap 15 Ricciardo pits for super softs, Hamilton for softs. Rosberg pits from the lead the next lap and takes soft tyres as well.

Vettel passses Nasr for tenth.

On lap 17 Raikkonen makes his first stop from the lead for more super soft tyres.

Verstappen and Kvyat are battling for ninth place.

On lap 18 Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m49.882s.

At lap 20 Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 6.0s, followed by Hamilton (11.6s), Raikkonen (13.9s), Perez (28.3s), Vettel (30.6s), Alonso (35.0s), Kvyat (37.9s), Verstappen (39.1s) and Massa (40.6s) in tenth place.

Raikkonene has been slowly closing on Hamilton in third place.

On lap 25 Vettel pits for ultrasoft tyres.

Hamilton tells the team, ºwe need to start coming up with a plan to stop me losing third, becuase this is all the pace I have with the brakes.¹

On lap 27 Perez pits from fifth for another set of soft tyres. Verstappen pits again, along with Sainz and Button.

At lap 30 Rosberg continues to lead Ricciardo by 4.3 seconds, followed by Hamilton (13.1s), Raikkonen (14.4s), Alonso (47.3s), Kvyat (50.4s), Magnussen (57.3s), Vettel (60.3s), Gutierrez (73.3s) amd Verstappen (74.2s) in tenth place.

On lap 32 Ricciardo pits for new soft tyres.

Raikkonen passes Hamilton for second place, the two nearly touching.

Rosberg and Raikkonen pit - both for soft tyres.

Bottas has a slow stop, the team needing to retighten his safety harness.

Hamilton pits the next lap from the lead for soft tyres, and rejoins behind Raikkonen in fourth,

Alonso pits for soft tyres as well.

Ferrari tells Raikkonen ºHamilton on primes behind, so we just need track position to the end¹.

On lap 37 Bottas retires his Williams in the pits.

On lap 38 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m49.263s. The team tells him, ºokay Lewis, were going to switch to plan B¹.

At lap 40 Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 3.7 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (9.8s), Hamilton (13.8s), Vettel (30.5s), Verstappen (48.2s), Alonso (58.9s), Perez (61.2s), Massa (63.1s), and Kvyat (65.1s) in tenth place.

On lap 42 Vettel pits for ultra soft tyres.

On lap 46 Hamilton pits for used super soft tyres. Vettel sets fast lap at 1m47.345s.

Raikkonen pits the next lap for ultra soft tyres and rejoins in fourth behind Hamilton.

Next lap Ricciardo pits from second for super soft tyres - he rejoins just ahead of Hamilton.

Mercedes tells Rosberg to pit, but then calls him off before the end of the lap.

Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m47.630s.

At lap 50 Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 17.6 seconds, followed by Hamilton (24.7s), Raikkonen (25.9s), Vettel (40.4s), Alonso (70.6s), Verstappen (73.6s), Perez (84.2s), Kvyat (85,6s), and Magnussen (88.0s).

Ricciardo is running quick laps and chipping away at Rosbergs lead.

On lap 55 Verstappen passes Alonso for sixth.

Rosberg is running 1m51 laps, while Ricciardo is running 1m48s - the lead down to 6 seconds on lap 56.

Raikkonen is closing on Hamilton in third.

On lap 60 Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 3.2 seconds.

Rosberg takes the checked flag 0.4 seconds ahead of Ricciardo in second, and Hamilton in third.