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Nico Rosberg was serene as he led the European Grand Prix from the front as Baku's Formula One debut failed to live up to pre-race premonitions of on-track carnage.
World championship leader Rosberg led the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel home with Sergio Perez picking up a second podium spot of the season in third.
Lewis Hamilton had looked the man to beat in practice, but a qualifying crash meant he started 10th, before technical issues - and Formula One's radio ban - beset him after the midway point and he finished fifth.
An all-action race had been predicted on the streets of Azerbaijan's capital city, but four retirements through technical issues told a much different story in the end.
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ROSBERG RESPONDS PERFECTLY
Rosberg ended his three-race run without a podium in emphatic fashion to stretch his advantage again in the drivers' championship
A bizarre inability to handle rain in Monaco and a struggle in Montreal traffic had opened the door for Hamilton, but the German pounced on his team-mate's weekend woes with all the ruthlessness of a champion in the making.
Victory may have been all sweeter coming as an early birthday present, just eight days before he turns 31.
Rosberg's cool and calm, even in his recent failures, were in stark contrast to his team-mate in Baku and could set him up nicely for the fight ahead.
HAMILTON GOES RAGIO GA-GA
As Hamilton's power unit gave him grief, the radio messages between the three-time champion and Mercedes' pit wall told the story.
"This is ridiculous guys, I don't want to be looking at my fricking dash every five seconds trying to work out what switch is in the wrong position."
"I'm going to change everything in this car."
"Can I make suggestions and you advise?"
With Mercedes unable to tell Hamilton how to fix the issue - and the driver's inability to remember what to do - his slim chances of a podium were wrecked as he dropped back fiddling with the knobs on his steering wheel, power returning to him all too late with seven laps to go.
FORCE INDIA LEAVE MIDFIELD BEHIND
With Mercedes totally peerless and Ferrari routinely the best of the rest, Force India emerged from the scrap behind to enjoy a stunning weekend, capped off by Perez's podium.
The Mexican has been linked with a move to Ferrari in recent weeks and showed fantastic speed to set the second-quickest time in qualifying on Saturday, although a shunt in FP3 prompted a change of gearbox and five-place grid penalty.
From seventh, Perez made two places off the line thanks to the Mercedes engine underneath him before impressive poise on the back of a one-stop strategy - and patience as Kimi Raikkonen struggled ahead of him - were enough to secure third place.
With his poor season at McLaren now a thing of the past, Perez could soon be in a frontrunning car once again.
AZZZZ...ERBAIJAN NOT A THRILLER
Antonio Giovinazzi was a double winner in GP2. The feature race in Baku had 10 finishers and four safety-car periods, while the Italian won the sprint race from 22nd place.
This mayhem was expected to follow when the premier class took to the track.
It emphatically did not.
Perhaps the F1 drivers' greater experience told through in the end, but this race was the first this season with a distinct lack of action at the front of the field as Rosberg led every single lap.
IN THE POINTS
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) +16.696secs 3. Sergio Perez (Force India) +25.241s 4. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) +33.102s 5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +56.335s 6. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) +60.886s 7. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) +69.229s 8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +70.696s 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) +77.708ss 10. Felipe Massa (Williams) +85.375s
TITLE STANDINGS
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 141 2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 117 (+24) 3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 96 (+45) 4. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 81 (+60) 5. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 78 (+63)
1. Mercedes 258 2. Ferrari 177 (+81) 3. Red Bull 140 (+118) 4. Williams 90 (+168) 5. Force India 59 (+199)
NEXT UP
The Austrian Grand Prix follows in two weeks' time. Rosberg has won both of the races at the Red Bull Ring since its refurbishment and return to the F1 calendar.