Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 2016 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights, Reaction

Nico Rosberg cruised to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday with a commanding performance from the outset at the Bahrain International Circuit.

World champion Lewis Hamilton started in pole position for the race, but he quickly found himself jostling with the pack and could only come through in third place.

Kimi Raikkonen was left to fly the flag for Ferrari after Sebastian Vettel suffered engine failure in the formation lap, and he did so well by coming in second behind Rosberg.

Here's a look at the final results from a dramatic race in the Middle East, per Formula 1:

Hamilton was looking to make it three Bahrain Grand Prix victories in a row, but a collision on the very first corner with Valtteri Bottas put him on the back foot and allowed Rosberg to pull clear, as Formula 1 revealed:

And the German didn’t need a second invitation, as he powered on for his fifth grand prix win on the spin and second of the season following his triumph in Australia last time out.

Hamilton’s front wing was damaged in that crash and he was pulled all the way back to seventh, but he regained his composure and got himself in a position to chase Raikkonen and Rosberg.  

Up front, Raikkonen tried with all his might to keep pace with Rosberg, and he seemed to be well and truly flying at times.

The Finn is no stranger to being on the podium in Bahrain, and he clearly knew his way around the track. However, Rosberg was just too quick for him.

In fact, his driving was so good that after making his final pit stop of the race, he was only a few seconds behind Hamilton, who still needed to head in.

When Hamilton and Raikkonen did eventually pit, Rosberg cruised back to the head of the pack and set the kind of lap times that were simply impossible to chase down.

The German crossed the line 10 seconds clear of Raikkonen, and he cut a very satisfied figure at the end of the race:

Rosberg's emphatic victory puts him 17 points clear of his Mercedes teammate Hamilton in the driver standings, while Raikkonen moved up to fourth:

Although Raikkonen enjoyed a good day on Sunday, the failure to Vettel's engine will be a big concern to Ferrari.

The cars are good enough to really trouble Mercedes this season, and you get the sense that Vettel could easily have joined Raikkonen on the podium if he started the race.

As it was, Hamilton took third spot, and he has to be applauded for the way he fought back after his collision with Bottas. 

After the race, the Englishman conceded that the damage to his car is what stopped him from challenging Raikkonen and Rosberg, via Formula 1:

Rosberg, meanwhile, expressed his joy at getting over the line first, saying that the way he pulled away from the pack was excellent, via F1:

The Chinese Grand Prix is next up on the Formula One calendar, and although Hamilton has a good record in Shanghai, Rosberg’s form makes him look hard to beat.

His five wins in a row matches the record number of consecutive grand prix victories that Hamilton achieved, and you'd be brave to bet against him making it six.