As the field headed into Turn 3 for the first time, contact was made between Lotus's Romain Grosjean and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, which flicked Grosjean into the path of team mate Pastor Maldonado. McLaren's Fernando Alonso had to take emergency evasive action, but in doing so speared into his team mate, Jenson Button. Grosjean, Maldonado and Button were all eliminated as a result.
That trio were summoned to see the Silverstone stewards, along with Alonso and Ricciardo, to review the sequence of events, and although Grosjean had suggested that Ricciardo had initiated the crash, it was decided that no further action was warranted.
"After hearing from all the drivers involved in the Turn 3 incident at the start of the race," read the stewards' statement, "it was decided that no driver was wholly or predominately to blame."
Ricciardo would also retire late in the race with electrical issues, while Alonso went on to finish 10th, claiming his first point of the season in the process.
