No penalties for opening-lap collisions
The chain of first-lap crashes that eliminated three drivers from Sunday's 2015 Formula 1 British Grand Prix has effectively been declared a racing incident by Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA.
As the field headed into Turn 3 for the first time, contact was made between Lotus's Romain Grosjean and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, which flicked Grosjean into the path of team mate Pastor Maldonado. McLaren's Fernando Alonso had to take emergency evasive action, but in doing so speared into his team mate, Jenson Button. Grosjean, Maldonado and Button were all eliminated as a result.
That trio were summoned to see the Silverstone stewards, along with Alonso and Ricciardo, to review the sequence of events, and although Grosjean had suggested that Ricciardo had initiated the crash, it was decided that no further action was warranted.
"After hearing from all the drivers involved in the Turn 3 incident at the start of the race," read the stewards' statement, "it was decided that no driver was wholly or predominately to blame."
Ricciardo would also retire late in the race with electrical issues, while Alonso went on to finish 10th, claiming his first point of the season in the process.
Next Up
Related Articles
All the ex-F1 drivers taking part in the Le Mans 24 Hours
‘This is probably my last Barcelona race in F1’ – Alonso
Russell explains mindset going into Barcelona weekend
Why Williams' Browning feels 'ready to drive an F1 car now'
Facts, stats and trivia ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya GP
Why F1 drivers are excited about the start of the World Cup