Brazilian Grand Prix: Jarno Trulli fined for Adrian Sutil confrontation
Date published : 18 Oct 2009 - 23:13:59
Read a full report of how Jenson Button became Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion at the Brazilian Grand Prix
Toyota driver Trulli and Force India's Sutil almost came to blows after a first-lap collision that resulted in their retirement.
Related ArticlesJenson Button wins world titleHow Button won F1 titleBrazilian Grand Prix in picturesBrazilian Grand Prix: key momentsJenson Button's F1 Drivers' title caps Brawn's extraordinary seasonSport on televisionAttempting to pass Sutil around the outside at one point of the Interlagos track, Trulli put a wheel onto the grass which sent him spinning into the back of the German's Formula 1 car.
As veteran Trulli struck a wall, Sutil went careering across the infield grass, his momentum taking him back onto the track where he was struck for a second time, on this occasion by Fernando Alonso.
Renault's double world champion was also forced out of the race, and as he clambered out of his car in the background, Trulli angrily confronted Sutil in the foreground.
Trulli was seen furiously gesticulating at Sutil as it was clear the Italian was accusing him of causing the accident.
However, after an investigation the stewards decided it was a racing incident requiring no further action.
Instead, the stewards reprimanded Trulli and hit him in the pocket as they determined he failed to leave the track as required by the marshals, and for his inappropriate actions towards Sutil.
McLaren were also fined £30,000 for another of the day's dramatic moments when Heikki Kovalainen left the pits with the fuel hose still attached to his car.
It came at the end of the first lap as both he and fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen had sustained damage to their cars in separate incidents.
Kovalainen immediately pulled in front of Raikkonen, spraying fuel onto the 2007 world champion's Ferrari directly behind him, causing a flash fire.
Raikkonen came through it unharmed, whilst Kovalainen pulled over outside the Brawn garage where that team's mechanics courteously removed the offending hose.
The stewards ruled it was an unsafe release from the pits and imposed the fine on McLaren as well as adding 25 seconds to Kovalainen's race time, resulting in him dropping from ninth to 12th.
Read a full report of how Jenson Button became Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion at the Brazilian Grand Prix
