Kvyat handed post-race penalty, loses points after Hulkenberg clash

Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat has been handed a 10-second post-race time penalty for his last lap clash with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg in Mexico. As a result, Kvyat loses two points, dropping from P9 to P11, with Hulkenberg classified tenth.

The incident occurred at the final corner of the final lap as Kvyat – running in P10 – made a last ditch attempt to snatch ninth from Hulkenberg. But the Russian could find no way through, instead punting the Renault into the barriers.

Hulkenberg recovered and took the chequered flag, but quickly parked up with his rear wing missing.

"It was last lap, last corner, obviously he was struggling with his tyres then I tried to put my nose there and he shut the door," said Kvyat, speaking before his trip to see the race stewards. "I don't know how the stewards will see it, but it felt to me last lap, last corner, you need to fight."

As a result of the incident, Kvyat’s Toro Rosso team mate moved up to P9, with Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul unhappy that the Italian team had still benefitted from what he described as 'dirty' driving.

Hulkenberg himself, however, was much more philosophical:

"I left significant space on the inside," he said. "[Daniil's] trying what you have to as a racing driver, so just one of these things in racing."

In the fight for fifth in the constructors' standings, Renault do however stretch their advantage over Toro Rosso to nine points, with Daniel Ricciardo bringing home five points for the French marque for P8.