Briton Lewis Hamilton was handed a 20-second penalty Sunday for defending his position with more than one change of direction, pushing him down from seventh to eighth in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

As a result, Japanese Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber moved up one position in the final order to seventh, swapping places with Hamilton.

McLaren driver Hamilton and two times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari were both called to appear before the race stewards following a collision when they were fighting for third place on lap 46.

Alonso appeared to drive into Hamilton's McLaren, damaging the front wing of his Ferrari. Alonso's left-front wing touched Hamilton's right-rear wheel and within laps both were forced to make an extra pit stop.

The Ferrari driver eventually finished sixth while Hamilton had to settle for seventh.

Alonso was also given a 20-second penalty for causing a collision, but because of Hamilton's punishment from the stewards it had no effect on his position in the result.

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