The two Finns collided at Turn 5 when fighting for position, after Bottas had attacked Raikkonen around the outside of Turn 4.

Raikkonen then tried to turn in for the Turn 5 right-hander, but Bottas was still partly alongside and they made contact, putting the Ferrari driver out of the race with suspension damage.

In Russia the pair collided when fighting over third place on the final lap, with Raikkonen the one trying to make a pass on that occasion.

“It’s a shame it had to end like that, but that’s racing,” said Bottas.

“It was big contact, but it was just unlucky that we got together again.

“There is not anything to speak about for me, we were racing hard obviously.”

Bottas believes there was enough space through the tight left-right sequence for two cars to get through side-by-side.

“Normally what I’m used to in those situations is that there is enough space for two cars when you go into a chicane,” he added.

“Of course, I’m not going to back off, I’m fighting for positions.

“I thought it was a decent possibility to get through but it ended up like this.

“There was just no room. I was on the inside and we touched, but I had no space to go [into].”

Bottas took third place from Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat after a late-race restart, and he praised Williams for choosing the harder tyre while Kvyat was put on the softer compound.

“It was a really good call from the team – the medium is a low-range tyre, and it seemed to work,” he said.

“I saw Daniil sliding it in the last corner and I managed to get close enough and get through.

“It was a really good race, and we did a great job, especially with the strategy.”