Rosberg has the 'luck of a champion' - Montagny

Former F1 driver Franck Montagny thinks runaway championship leader Nico Rosberg will eventually strike problems in 2016. So far in 2016, the German's run at the top of the field has been peerless, amid reigning champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton's consistent bad luck.

Briton Hamilton's good mood also appeared to falter at Sochi, amid the prospect of even more penalties in the near future. "I'm aware that there is most likely going to be at least one ten-place penalty because I have one more reprimand to go. The last one was bloody ridiculous," he said. "When I was karting there was one steward who was just there to make everyone's weekend bad. He was a complete a-----e and I've started to see signs of him," said Hamilton.

Rosberg, however, said he is aware that his peerless run, and Hamilton's dire luck, will not last forever. "It's probably the best phase in my career," the German told Bild newspaper. "But the season is not over yet. With Lewis Hamilton as an opponent you can't relax for a second."

But every other driver in F1 history who has won seven straight races - Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel - have gone on to win the title. "That's a great statistic," Rosberg is quoted by Belgium's Sporza, "but those drivers did not have Lewis Hamilton as a teammate."

Montagny, a French former F1 driver, said Rosberg is currently enjoying "the luck of a champion". "This faultlessness is impressive, but the championship is long," he told Le Point. "There is nothing to say he will not also have his share of mishaps. It is a certainty that a confrontation between Hamilton and Rosberg will happen," Montagny added.

Fernando Alonso, Hamilton's former teammate at McLaren, agrees. "Things are not going right for him now but the championship is long," the Spaniard, referring to Hamilton, told Cadena Cope radio. "He (Hamilton) is among the favourites for the title. He must move forward as it is often in moments of difficulty where you really see someone's character," Alonso added. (GMM)