Raikkonen and Bottas Spoke After Last-Lap Crash, Hakkinen Reveals
Mika Hakkinen says Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas exchanged words privately after their controversial collision that cost Bottas a podium and handed Mercedes the title.
Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas held a private conversation following their controversial last-lap collision, according to former world champion Mika Hakkinen. The incident, which cost Bottas a podium finish and earned Raikkonen a 30-second penalty, also handed Mercedes an early constructors’ championship victory.
The clash between the two Finns came as Raikkonen attempted a late move, resulting in contact that ended Bottas’s hopes of a top-three finish. Bottas’s frustration was clear, with bystander footage showing him throwing both his cockpit collar and gloves in anger after climbing out of his car.
Race stewards sided with Bottas, penalising Raikkonen for the collision. The Ferrari driver, however, was unrepentant, saying: “I don’t think it was something completely stupid that I tried. You never want to have accidents, but that’s racing and things happen.” Bottas, for his part, disagreed, stating: “I can happily look in the mirror and say that it was not my fault.”
Hakkinen: Private conversation took place
Mika Hakkinen, who manages Bottas, told Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat that the two drivers did speak after the race. “I understand that a conversation did take place,” Hakkinen said, though he described it as less dramatic than his own post-race exchange with Ayrton Senna after their 1994 collision in Japan. Hakkinen suggested that facing up to mistakes directly is the better approach, but did not confirm whether either driver accepted blame in this case.
Hakkinen also speculated that Raikkonen’s frustration may have stemmed from seeing his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, ahead and heading for the podium. Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene praised Raikkonen’s fighting spirit after the race, but Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda was less impressed, saying Raikkonen “blew himself off by hitting Bottas.”
Impact on the championship and drivers
The collision not only cost Bottas a podium but also sealed the constructors’ title for Mercedes ahead of schedule. For Raikkonen, the penalty dropped him out of the points and drew criticism from some quarters for his aggressive approach.
While the details of the conversation between Raikkonen and Bottas remain private, the incident highlighted the tension that can arise when drivers are fighting for every point late in the season. The fallout may also influence how both Finns approach future on-track battles.
For more on Bottas’s career moves, seeReport claims Bottas signs to replace Raikkonen at Ferrari
