Kamui Kobayashi and Pastor Maldonado have been fined by Silverstone race stewards for their wayward driving in the British Grand Prix.
Silvertone stewards hand out punishments for collisions
Kamui Kobayashi and Pastor Maldonado have been fined by Silverstone race stewards for their wayward driving in the British Grand Prix.
Sauber driver Kobayashi was hit with a €25,000 fine for knocking over three of his team's pit crew on lap 37 after braking too late and locking his car's front brakes as he stopped for a change of tyres. The mechanics were taken to the medical centre for checks but subsequently given the all-clear.
Meanwhile, in a separate investigation, stewards handed Williams driver Maldonado his third different penalty in four races after he was once again found to be at fault for causing a collision involving - for a second time in those races - involved the blameless Sauber of Sergio Perez.
The pair collided while Perez was attempting to go around the outside of the Venezuelan at Brooklands on lap 12, with Maldonado later admitting on
Sky Sports F1 that he had lost control of his car on cold tyres.
The stewards also found Maldonado to be guilty of wrongdoing and meted out the double penalty of a €10,000 fine and a reprimand.
Perez, however, had earlier called for a more severe penalty for persistent offences.
"With this driver you cannot do anything. He is a stupid driver," Perez told Natalie Pinkham. "He deserves a big penalty. We are risking our lives. He is dangerous."
Speaking later in Sauber's official press release, the Mexican was no less unhappy.
"I am very upset as my weekend has been ruined. I braked later than Pastor Maldonado, he didn't give me any room at all and just came into me. In my view it was not a racing incident. We all fight very hard, but give each other room."
Team-mate Kobayashi, on the other hand, was full of apologies for colliding with his crew.
"First of all the accident at the pit stop was my fault and I want to apologise to the team," he said. Of course I had to push hard for points, but without doubt I braked too late in the pit lane. The front wheels locked, I couldn't control the car, and this is how I overshot the pit box. I am terribly sorry this happened, and I hope the three mechanics I hit get well soon."
