Gutierrez penalised for Maldonado clash

Esteban Gutierrez has been hit with a three-place grid penalty for the German Grand Prix after a collision with Pastor Maldonado at Silverstone.

On lap nine of the British Grand Prix, Gutierrez attempted to pass Maldonado down the inside in to Copse, but with Maldonado himself trying to put a move on Jules Bianchi he drove in to the side of the Lotus.

The contact continued through the corner, with Maldonado being launched in to the air off the right front tyre of the Sauber. The damage to Gutierrez's car forced him to retire, while Maldonado also stopped in the closing laps with a problem on his left rear where contact between the two had been made.

Following an investigation, the stewards decided that Gutierrez was largely to blame and as a result handed him a three-place grid penalty to be served at Hockenheim.

"Having viewed all the video available and having heard from the drivers, the stewards determined that the driver of car 21 was predominantly at fault, causing a collision at Turn 16 between him and the driver of car 13," the decision read.

Germany will mark the second race in succession that Gutierrez has had a grid penalty, having been hit with a 10-place drop at Silverstone as a result of an unsafe release in the Austrian Grand Prix.