European GP: Maldonado given post race penalty

By Andrew Hooper
June 25 2012

Williams F1 driver Pastor Maldonado was given a post race penalty for his part in an incident involving Hamilton, that saw the McLaren driver crash into the barrier.

 
 Maldonado given post race penalty
 

The 2012 European Grand Prix would see Williams F1 driver Pastor Maldonado involved in an incident with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton when Pastor was attempting a passing move on Hamilton for third place.

Maldonado said the incident would not have happened if Hamilton had allowed him to stay on the track.

Pastor said: "He tried to put me off the track. He didn't leave any room for me to stay on and do the corner side by side. I jumped over the kerb and I couldn't avoid the accident.

"I don't know why he drove like that," Maldonado said. "He was struggling too much with the tyres. He was completely lost and at that moment I was getting very good pace. He tried a very aggressive move on me."

Pastor would complete the race but would finish in tenth.

But officials did not accept Pastor's view of the incident giving him a post-race drive-through penalty for his collision with Hamilton.

The penalty would see twenty seconds added to Pastor's final time, seeing him drop to twelfth. This would see team-mate Bruno Senna moving up to tenth and securing the final point.
 

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