Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen has been hit with a 30-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to eighth, following his on-track clash with Williams’ Valtteri Bottas.
The two Finns were battling for the final podium position with Bottas ahead of Raikkonen. On the final lap of the race the pair clashed as Raikkonen dived up the inside of his fellow countryman.
Bottas’ race was ended immediately, however Raikkonen managed to recover and limped across the finish line to claim fifth.
Whilst both drivers blamed one another, the race stewards deemed Raikkonen to be at fault and hit him with a 10-second stop/go penalty, which was applied as a 30-second time penalty post-race.
“Once I decided to try [and pass] I can’t back off. I don’t know if he didn’t see me at all or didn’t expect me to go there,” said the Ferrari man, to which Bottas replied: “I don’t think it was a racing incident.
“I didn’t see anyone there and I was in front, and then suddenly someone hits me.”
The penalty drops Raikkonen to eighth, giving Mercedes just enough points to clinch the Constructors’ Championship – the same race they clinched last year’s title
