Nico Rosberg cruises to Belgian Grand Prix win

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, center, winner, celebrates on the podium with Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia, left, second place and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, third place, at the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: AP)

Nico Rosberg rekindled his bid for the drivers’ world championship by steering his Mercedes to a convincing victory in Sunday’s chaotic crash-hit Belgian Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton fought back to finish third.

Rosberg’s delight was reduced by his Mercedes team mate Hamilton’s damage-limiting and thrilling drive to finish on the podium after starting from the back row of the grid.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished second in his Red Bull.

The 31-year-old Rosberg, who started from his third successive pole position, led from start to finish in a 44-laps race fractured by accidents and incidents to secure his first victory in Belgium and his sixth of the season.

Hamilton, who started 21st after being handed 60 grid position penalties for taking three new power-units through the weekend, remains narrowly ahead of Rosberg in the title race with 232 points to his 223.

German Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth ahead of his Force India team mate Sergio Perez, as the Silverstone-based team overhauled rivals Williams in the constructors’ championship.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari (formerly Red Bull Racing) recovered from a first-corner collision with his own team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to take sixth ahead of Fernando Alonso, who had started 22nd on the grid.

Valtteri Bottas was eighth for Williams ahead of Raikkonen and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

The race was halted in the early stages when Dane Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily, but he limped away from his wrecked Renault car with only a damaged ankle.