Maldonado penalized, Hamilton reprimanded
The two drivers were found guilty of "causing a collision" but only Pastor Maldonado received a penalty.
After their accident at the end of the second qualifying session, Pastor Maldonado and Lewis Hamilton were summoned by the panel of stewards, where Nigel Mansell sits as a former driver.
The two drivers were found guilty of causing a collision, but the Venezuelan seems to have been judged more responsible than Lewis Hamilton, receiving a 5-place grid penalty, dropping him from 16th to 21st place. The British driver, on the other hand, received a reprimand without affecting his qualifying position.
After the qualifications, neither Maldonado nor Hamilton wanted to take responsibility for the accident, and the Briton was expecting to be called by the stewards: « I just said I’m going to sit here and wait for the stewards to call me. »