Kimi Raikkonen under investigation after crashing into Valtteri Bottas

That left Mercedes staff to celebrate their second successive constructors title in the garage as Lewis Hamilton’s victory means they have an unassailable lead in the team championship with four races to spare.

Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari collided with fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams on the final lap when they were fighting for third place behind the triumphant Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and second-placed Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

Raikkonen defended the move, believing he had a good enough run to attempt the pass on Bottas, but felt it was more of a racing accident than anything malicious.

Bottas was shunted into retirement while Raikkonen limped home in fifth place.

If the stewards deem Raikkonen guilty of cashing the crash, Mercedes will be crowned Constructors’ Championship if the former world champion is demoted to eighth or lower.

Both men were subsequently called before officials for the alleged causing of a collision, although Raikkonen claimed it had been a racing incident in his opinion.

“I overtook him there once before and I wasn’t too far back so I thought I would try again”.

“I don’t know if he was not expecting me at all or if he did not see me, but once I chose to go there was no way I could back off”.

But Bottas replied: “I don’t think it was a racing incident”.

“I should be on the podium, but I’m here with zero points instead”.

“It was quite a unusual race with lots of accidents and safety cars, and we managed to do a very good job as a team to give me a good shot at the podium”.

“I tried to turn as much inside as I could but there was nowhere to go and we collided”.