Any decision could potentially affect the constructors’ championship – Raikkonen’s fifth-place finish lifted Ferrari to 236 points, 166 off Mercedes with 172 still available over the last four races.
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Lewis Hamilton won the race, but Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had finished second and fifth, giving the Maranello team three points more than its rival (28-25).
Those who hoped that the 2015 Russian Grand Prix would provide more drama than the average Formula One race, were in luck yesterday as the entire afternoon proved eventful for pretty much every single team on the grid. What this meant was that Mercedes-AMG Petronas could start celebrating yet another constructors title – which they did as soon as word came in about Kimi’s sentence.
Mercedes’ celebrations had been on hold in the immediate aftermath of the Sochi race while the stewards investigated the last-lap crash between Finnish pair Raikkonen and Bottas.
However, with Raikkonen forcing him to a tight inside line, the Finn would force his team-mate to back out through to the corner to avoid a clash as they got to within a few inches of one another.
“I didn’t see anyone, I was in front then suddenly at the apex someone hits me”, an unhappy Bottas told Sky Sports F1.
“It’s very disappointing, obviously – I was running third on the final lap, I should be on the podium, but I’m here and with zero points”.
“I overtook him there once before and I wasn’t too far back so I thought I would try again”.
“It’s an unfortunate thing, not just for us but for them”.
The Williams driver added: “I don’t think it was a racing incident”.
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The chairman of Mercedes, Dr Dieter Zetsche, declared: “What an incredible moment for Mercedes-Benz! Congratulations to our team in Brackley and Brixworth who have worked so hard to make this achievement possible, winning a second world championship in a row”, he said.
