Red Bull race engineer to Max Verstappen (currently third): "Try and push up to Rosberg's DRS. Keep pushing up, mate."

Tom Clarkson
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Lewis Hamilton is disobeying his team."

Two laps ago, Max Verstappen was three seconds behind Nico Rosberg. Now he is 1.8 seconds behind. 

Rosberg getting caught up with the Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari would help Lewis Hamilton's championship hopes, but he can't afford to get too close to his team-mate and end up in a crash. If that happens and both retire, Rosberg is champion.

Sebastian Vettel gets past Daniel Ricciardo and he is into fourth with Max Verstappen ahead of him.

A Ferrari on the prowl, Lewis Hamilton putting Nico Rosberg under pressure. Can the championship leader keep his cool?

This is going to be a fascinating finish...

Image source, Getty Images

Mercedes race engineer: "OK Lewis, this is an instruction - we need 1.45.1 for the win."

Hamilton: "I suggest you guys let us race."

Nico Rosberg is getting nervous...

"This pace is very slow so maybe reverse the cars and if Lewis is still second at the end of the race I will let him by again. I know that’s a stupid request but this is a very slow pace and he is very fast in sector one so it is hard to pass."

The gap between himself and Lewis Hamilton is one second now...

Jack Nicholls
Radio 5 live Formula 1 commentator

The quickest man on the circuit is only six seconds off the lead of the grand prix. 

Could we be in for a grandstand finish? Lewis Hamilton isn't hitting the mark Mercedes have requested, with his lap a 1:46.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel is closing in on Daniel Ricciardo and fourth place.

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

I think Hamilton is trying to back him up. Remember that radio message from a few laps ago - "tell me the times of the others". The risk is very real that Rosberg could be in a critical situation.

"OK Lewis, need to pick up the pace. You need high 1:44s."

Mercedes are getting a bit twitchy about Sebastian Vettel's pace on the supersofts. They think the Ferrari is a real contender for the race win.

Will Hamilton do as told, or is he backing up Nico Rosberg here and allowing their rivals to catch him?

Lewis Hamilton's lead over Nico Rosberg is back down to 1.2 seconds with 12 laps left. 

It looks like Carlos Sainz's race is over. After getting hit by Jolyon Palmer he reports a gearbox problem and says he's going to have to retire. That's both Toro Rossos out.

Contact between Jolyon Palmer and Carlos Sainz as the two tussle for position. Palmer locked up trying to regain 14th, locked up and slammed into the back of Sainz's Toro Rosso.

Race leader Lewis Hamilton: "You need to give me the times of other cars please."

Image source, AP

Cheeky from Carlos Sainz. As Jolyon Palmer moves over to let Max Verstappen lap him, Sainz takes advantage to sneak past the Renault and into 14th.

Fifteen laps remaining and Sebastian Vettel swoops past Kimi Raikkonen and into fifth. Daniel Ricciardo next up.

Out in front, Lewis Hamilton has increased the gap between himself and Nico Rosberg a tad, with 1.6 seconds between them.

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

When it comes to the race, Rosberg has done this very well. I'm not sure Hamilton could have gone quicker.

Tom Clarkson
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

What else can Hamilton do other than just win the grand prix? I wonder if he's thinking he should have done the emphatic thing and just win it by 30 seconds.