Ocon was tipped into the wall by Raikkonen as the Ferrari tried to pass on the inside of Turn 3. Replays showed that Raikkonen was entitled to make the move, with his front wheel past the Force India’s left rear. Kimi continued after changing his front wing at the end of the first lap, going on to finish in second place after 51 frantic laps.
Stewards deemed the clash a racing incident with no penalties for either driver, but a furious Ocon pointed the finger of blame squarely on the 38-year-old Finn. He told French broadcasters Canal+:
“Clearly I had a great start, really good, I managed to overtake him in Turn 2, I was ahead of him on the straight. I was completely ahead, he was behind. I don’t know what he did, he released the brakes and hit me.”
Force India lifted itself from ninth to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship courtesy of Sergio Perez finishing a brilliant third, but Ocon – who started directly behind Raikkonen in seventh – saw his afternoon as a “missed opportunity”. He also took a jab at Raikkonen’s…’reticent’ nature, making a note of his recent errors.
“What do we want to tell Kimi? He doesn’t talk. He’s not in the position he should be with a Ferrari. He made a mistake yesterday, he made another one today.”
Pretty strong comments! Do you agree with Ocon? Let us know what you think.
