German 36 points clear of Hamilton after victory in China
Monday 18 April 2016 11:50, UK
Nico Rosberg is the new bookies' favourite to secure the F1 drivers' title after his victory in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Rosberg followed up victories in Australia and Bahrain with success in Shanghai to open up a 36-point lead at the top of the championship.
The 30-year-old has now become only the fourth driver in F1 history to win six successive races - a streak which stretches back to the end of last season.
Sky Bet immediately reacted by cutting the German from evens to 4/6 favourite with Mercedes team-mate and defending world champion Lewis Hamilton pushed out to 11/8.
Hamilton, bidding to win the drivers' title for the third year running, continued his indifferent start to the season with a seventh place finish in Shanghai and sits in second place in the table three points clear of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and six points ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
Sky Bet F1 trader Jonathan Quinn said: "Following Rosberg's dominant start to the season he's now odds-on favourite for the title at 4/6 after starting the season at 3/1.
"However, with the season the longer it has ever been with 21 races there is still plenty of time for Hamilton to turn the tables on his team-mate and close the gap at the top.
"Hamilton has had some rotten luck in all three races so far and I would expect this to even out."
Despite Rosberg's impressive start to the season Sky Bet can't separate the Mercedes duo ahead of the Russian Grand Prix on May 1 on a circuit where the Briton boasts a 100 per cent record having won both previous races at the Sochi Autodrom.
