24/10/2010
NEWS STORY
Adrian Sutil and Sebastien Buemi have both received grid penalties for the Brazilian Grand Prix after being adjudged as causing avoidable collisions - a breach of Article 16.1 of the 2010 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations - in today's Korean race.
Sutil, who had been involved in a long scrap with the Saubers, eventually made a rash move which saw him colliding with Kamui Kobayashi. Though the Japanese driver was able to continue, the German was out on the spot having badly damaged his front suspension. 15 laps earlier, Buemi lost control of his car and T-boned Timo Glock's Virgin.
The race stewards, who include 1980 world champion Alan Jones, having investigated both incidents hit both Buemi and Sutil with grid penalties for the next race. Furthermore, Sutil, who admitted to knowing, prior to his accident, that he was aware he had a brake problem, was given a $10,000 fine.
"I braked late and locked the front wheels," Buemi subsequently explained, "so I could not turn and ended up going straight on and hitting Timo. I am sorry for him."
"I was just struggling with my brakes all the time," said Sutil. "I had so much brake force that I always locked up and it was hard to drive consistently. There were a lot of times I was off the circuit, or locked up, and then got past a driver and went off the road. In the end I tried to overtake Kobayashi but lost the car on a patch that was a bit more wet than I expected and went into the side of him."