Raikkonen accepts punishment for Hamilton crash

Kimi Raikkonen admits that the crash that saw Lewis Hamilton to spin out on the first lap was his fault and accepts the ten second penalty that came with it.

Hamilton got a slow start to his home Grand Prix, being overtaken by eventual winner Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas at turn one. Heading into turn three, Raikkonen locked his front right and tagged Hamilton right rear tyre, sending the Brit into a spin and into 18th place.

Hamilton recovered through the field to take a masterful P2, and Raikkonen joined him on the podium in third after serving his penalty.

Raikkonen told Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle after the race that he made the mistake that caused the crash: “On the third corner I locked a wheel and was behind a car, so I ended up hitting Lewis on the rear corner, so my bad but that’s how it goes sometimes, and it wasn’t a straightforward race.

Raikkonen obviously believes that the race could have been much better for himself had he not touched Hamilton, with the pair battling on the final few laps, firstly for third and then for second as Bottas’ tyres died on him.

He added: “Without the mistakes and 10 second penalty it would have been better.