Former Formula 1 driver Franck Montagny has said that he thinks runaway championship leader Nico Rosberg will eventually strike problems in 2016.

So far in 2016, the German's run at the top of the field has been peerless, amid reigning champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton's consistent bad luck.

Briton Hamilton's good mood also appeared to falter at Sochi, amid the prospect of even more penalties in the near future.

"I'm aware that there is most likely going to be at least one 10-place penalty because I have one more reprimand to go. The last one was bloody ridiculous," he said.

"When I was karting there was one steward who was just there to make everyone's weekend bad. He was a complete arehole and I've started to see signs of him."

Rosberg, however, said he is aware that his peerless run, and Hamilton's dire luck, will not last forever.

"It's probably the best phase in my career," the German told Bild. "But the season is not over yet. With Lewis Hamilton as an opponent you can't relax for a second."

However, every other driver in F1 history who has won seven straight races - Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel - have gone on to win the title.

"That's a great statistic," Rosberg is quoted as saying by Belgium's Sporza, "but those drivers did not have Lewis Hamilton as a teammate."

Montagny, a French former F1 driver, said that Rosberg is currently enjoying "the luck of a champion".

"This faultlessness is impressive, but the championship is long," he told Le Point. "There is nothing to say he will not also have his share of mishaps.

"It is a certainty that a confrontation between Hamilton and Rosberg will happen.

The season continues with the Spanish Grand Prix on May 15.