Vitaly Petrov will start from 20th place for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, after being docked five grid places for obstructing Timo Glock during Saturday’s qualifying session.
The Renault driver blocked the Virgin racer as he joined the circuit from the pits, just as Glock was steaming down into Turn 1. Glock was forced to slow down, and furiously gesticulated to the Russian driver to use his mirrors in future.
The stewards duly ruled that the Russian – who originally qualified 15th – had impeded Glock and docked him five places, although Petrov dismissed full responsibility for the incident.
“I can only apologise to him if I held him up,” Petrov said after the announcement of the penalty. “I didn’t see him coming up behind me and didn’t see any blue flags as I came out of the pits.”
[Original image via GP Update]
Richard Bailey
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