Kimi Raikkonen was demoted from fifth to eighth place in the Russian GP results after being penalised for causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas.
The two Finns collided while battling for third on the last lap. Raikkonen managed to crawl across the line in fifth, but was subsequently given a 30 second penalty, and three points on his licence.
His demotion also meant that Ferrari was finally out of mathematical contention for the constructors’ title, leaving Mercedes confirmed as champions.
“I went inside and I think he never realised that I was there,” said Raikkonen. “Obviously at the last point I knew that he was just turning in so I tried to go more inside and I had brake harder to try to avoid it, but I was next to him already, so obviously there was contact.
“I don’t think it was something completely stupid. I want to try, for sure I would have made the corner, but obviously there were two cars. There are many ways of looking at the incident. I was there but obviously he didn’t know that I was there, and then you will have a contact. Unfortunate thing, not just for us for them also. You never want to have accidents, but things happen.”
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 
Oh Kimi, it was a desperate last lap move for a desperately needed podium. Just say it, confession is good for the soul.
I do.
Clearly the stewards here and their colleagues at Monaco 2015 disagree on this kind of mistake. There Kimi was the victim but saw Ricciardo patted on the back for the same error.
Fact is that no Ferrari has been able to pass a Williams on the straight even with drs all season, such is the speed advantage.
So, a rare mistake from Kimi, born of frustration. He had both Seb and Bottas licked in the very first corners of the race. Why he felt he had to give back the place to Seb after defending hard I’m not sure. It meant an extra lap on shot tyres while Seb pitted first and that is what let Bottas back ahead.
That corner was last chance saloon for the podium. Might it have come off if Bottas had seen it coming? ……
Excellent point on same move, different outcome with Monaco steward ruling.
I am a life long fan of F1, but I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that it is a contrived show: not quite akin to professional wrestling, but working its way in that direction.
Formula One has lost its way, and badly. Between stewards penalizing drivers for racing, runoff areas the size of football fields that no longer force precise driving to contrived rules on the manufacturer side that don’t allow for advancements by competitors the sport is too controlled and a sad shade of its past glories.
It has sold its soul to Entertianment Gods.
Bottas need only to look at the Vettel-Kimi fight at the beginning to see how it’s done. You leave room. You have to look in the mirrors when fighting. He knew Kimi had tried there before. There was an opening and Kimi took it. If Bottas had left room like he should, everybody would be singing Kimis praises. Penalty was wildly unfair. Especially considering the Monaco incident with RIC that OffTrack mentioned here.
It was a wild lunge that was never going to come off – no space left as no driver should have been there.
If Bottas had seen him coming, he’d have simply turned in late and let Kimi sail (rightfully) into the scenery – Kimi was never making the corner without causing an avoidable accident.
Well, maybe he should have used his mirrors then!!!!
He would have seen it coming: Kimi would have sailed into the scenery: Bottas would have carried on and got his podium. So therefore by your adnission it was an avoidable accident, not an unavoidable one.
Wrong MW. Kimi said that he would have made the corner without problem. He never makes such claims falsely.
Vettel and Kimi fight at the beginning? Do you mean the first pass attempt when Kimi tried the same move and had to cut the corner to avoid a collision and pass Vettel? Or the the way Kimi meekly allowed Seb by to avoid a penalty?
Kimi had no chance to make that stick, and Bottas had every right to take the apex as Kimi was so far back and never effectively braked.
Personally I was convinced the stewards would write it off as a racing incident. Glad he took a penalty.
I’m sorry Soren, Kimi would have made the corner without a problem – had there been no Bottas there. With Bottas there, never going to work. Bottas said he had checked his mirrors but that Kimi was too far away…
OK Kimi, it was just sort of stupid then…
Bottas is to blame for the accident. Kimi was already next to him as you can see from the following video and he didn’t even have too much speed when you compare the entry speed of the two. But i guess it’s always Kimi’s fault like in Monaco… m.youtube.com/watch?t=7&v=sDLpyZ1MjxU