Rosberg wins Austrian Grand Prix to take control of F1 championship

Rosberg held off a last lap challenge from Hamilton as Mercedes resumed their dominance season, taking a seventh win from eight races and a sixth one-two of the campaign.

"It wasn't the easiest of races, trying to manage certain things happening, but I had a very very fast car again but it is great to win again," Rosberg said on the podium.

"It was also great to get another one-two. It's great to be back in Austria, it's great to have a race here again and the fans have been fantastic," he added.

The German driver started from third at the 4.326-kilometre Red Bull Ring and made an immediate move from the start, passing Valtteri Bottas though he lost the place before the first lap was complete.

Decisive moments for Rosberg came when leader Felipe Massa pitted his Williams for the first time and, as a clutch of drivers all changed to soft tyres, effectively slipped to fourth.

Rosberg could then close in on Massa's Williams team-mate Bottas and slipped past him at turn two on the 27th lap to seize the lead.

Lewis Hamilton, second to Rosberg in the championship standings, started in ninth having failed to set a time in final qualifying on Saturday but immediately came into contention with a brilliant opening which earned him several places.

Hamilton chased his Mercedes colleague to the finish of the 71-lap race but could not catch him and ended just under two seconds behind Rosberg, who won the first Austrian Grand Prix in 11 years.

"I have to look at the feedback, maybe my positioning isn't right. The guys have done a fantastic job for us to get another one-two and the fans here have been insane," Hamilton said.

Bottas took third to claim the first podium place of his career and the Finn struggled to express his delight.

"I am really, really happy and I am finding it hard to put it into words," he said.

"The race was just what we needed at this point, the car was good again today and I am just grateful for the guys for giving me such a good car."

Rosberg's third victory of the season takes him to 165 points in the standings with Hamilton on 136, while the pair further extended Mercedes' massive lead in the constructors' championship.

Fourth went to Massa, who could not convert the 16th pole position of his career into a 12th victory, while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fifth.

Sergio Perez (Force India), Kevin Magnussen (McLaren), Nico Huelkenberg (Force India), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) completed the top 10.

World champion Sebastian Vettel had a disappointing time at Red Bull's home race, withdrawing halfway through. He reported on team radio that he "lost drive" on lap two and though the car could be reset, he was eventually pulled in shortly after a collision with Esteban Gutierrez.

The Formula One season continues on July 6 with the British Grand Prix.