Bottas reprimanded for Grosjean practice crash
Valtteri Bottas has been hit with a reprimand after accepting responsibility for hitting Romain Grosjean's Haas in Friday's second Formula 1 practice session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
FP2 pacesetter Bottas was on a long run late in the session when he made an aggressive dive to the inside of Grosjean at the end of the second of the Yas Marina circuit’s two back straights.
Grosjean appeared not to see the Mercedes and the Haas driver turned in, the two collided and Grosjean was turned around.
Both drivers initially blamed each other for the clash and they were summoned to see the stewards at 19.00 local time.
However, when the stewards issued their report almost 40 minutes later and gave Bottas his first reprimand of the season, they said Bottas had taken the blame.
"Valtteri accepted responsibility for the collision and acknowledged that it was a failed attempt at an overtake which resulted in the collision," the stewards noted.
The session had to be red-flagged to deal with the bodywork both cars shed in the incident, and while Bottas was able to rejoin the session, Grosjean could not.
“What the f*** was that?” questioned Grosjean immediately. “Where did he come from?”
Asked if he had damage he replied: “Yeah, I think it’s floor and everything. Mate, he was miles away.
“Check the car, if we can go again we go again, but I’m worried it’s no good.”
Grosjean did not rejoin the session, but Bottas – who is due to start at the back of the grid on Sunday because of engine penalties – did make it back out.
“He turned into me,” Bottas said. “Didn’t leave any space.”
The session had to be red-flagged to deal with the bodywork both cars shed in the incident, and while Bottas was able to rejoin the session, Grosjean could not.
"What the f*** was that?" questioned Grosjean immediately. "Where did he come from?"
Asked if he had damage he replied: "Yeah, I think it's floor and everything.
"Mate, he was miles away. Check the car, if we can go again we go again, but I'm worried it's no good."
Bottas had originally claimed Grosjean "turned into me" and "didn't leave any space", while his team also backed the Finn's original story.
When Bottas's teammate Lewis Hamilton asked Mercedes who had crashed, he was told: "Contact between Valtteri and Grosjean.
"Valtteri was going down the inside of Grosjean at 11 and Grosjean turned in. So they hit each other."
"Could have guessed," Hamilton replied.
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