Hooked by Räikkönen in the last lap, Bottas remains furious
The final lap in Sochi was marked by the collision between Bottas and Räikkönen, who were fighting for 3rd place. The Williams driver sharply accused his compatriot at the end of the Grand Prix.
The explanation between Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen was rough: the Ferrari driver launched an attack on the Williams in the last lap at Sochi… but couldn’t avoid the collision, much to the frustration of his compatriot. Kimi Räikkönen had decided to attack Valtteri Bottas from afar, but the latter, not expecting it, took his inner line as if nothing was happening. However, the fault seems to lie with the Scuderia driver who did not sufficiently prepare his overtaking maneuver.
It is therefore not certain that Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen will leave together for Helsinki in the coming weeks. His helmet removed, the Williams driver was still fuming: « What the hell was he doing, damn it! I didn’t see him, he was next to me and we collided! He hits me on the inside. It’s disappointing to be 3rd at the start of the last lap, on the podium, and to finish with zero points. I can’t say anything more. We will review all this in front of the stewards now. Whether Kimi gets a penalty or not, I don’t care, it won’t give me back my points. »
For his part, Kimi Räikkönen finished the race in fifth place but could also have joined Hamilton and Vettel on the podium. He provided an initial explanation upon exiting his car: « I took a chance, I tried to overtake him. I had already overtaken him at this corner earlier in the race. I was closing in on him strongly in turn 3 and thought I could try again. I don’t know if he saw me or didn’t expect to see me beside him, but he took his turn normally. I tried to steer even more to avoid him but couldn’t do any more. »
Kimi Räikkönen is under investigation by the stewards and could face a penalty in the coming hours…
