Bahrain Grand Prix: Triple Penalty for Pastor Maldonado!
During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Pastor Maldonado flipped Esteban Gutierrez after exiting the pits. The FIA decided to impose an exemplary penalty on the Lotus driver.
With a Lotus E22 that allowed him to fight in the pack, Pastor Maldonado managed to attract attention, but for the wrong reasons. Indeed, during the 41st lap, the Venezuelan went inside at the first corner after his pit stop. However, the Lotus driver braked a little late, and as Esteban Gutierrez was committed to the corner, the front of the Lotus violently hit the side of the Sauber, causing it to flip over. Although the former Williams driver had already received a stop-and-go penalty during the race, the FIA did not find the punishment sufficient.
Pastor Maldonado therefore receives a 5-place grid penalty for the Chinese Grand Prix, which will take place in two weeks, and is given a three-point penalty on his license. This is a significant handicap for Lotus in the next weekend, as they will likely start from the back row.
At the same time, Jules Bianchi received two more penalty points on his license for his collision with Adrian Sutil.
