Max Verstappen blames Sebastian Vettel for start crash

ByAutoSport

Updated 17/09/2017 at 14:45 GMT

Max Verstappen says Sebastian Vettel was the main driver at fault for the Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 start crash.

Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland driving the (7) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H are caught up in

Image credit: Getty Images

Verstappen was pinched between the Ferraris of Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the run to the first corner, causing all three cars to collide and resulting in a secondary incident that also collected Fernando Alonso.

While Vettel avoided that second impact at Turn 1, his car was damaged and he crashed out moments later from the lead of the race. Vettel said he didn't know what happened to cause the accident, but Verstappen felt the German was at fault.

When asked by TV crews who was to blame for the crash, Verstappen said: "Mainly Sebastian. He started squeezing me, maybe he didn't see Kimi on the left.

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Ferrari's Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (L) and Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen walk back to the pit after crashing during the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix in Singapore on September 17, 2017.

Image credit: Getty Images

"That's not an excuse - if you're fighting for the world championship, you shouldn't take those risks to squeeze someone that much. What does he expect? When you're fighting for a world championship you shouldn't do that. It was not very clever. I don't think it was a racing incident. At the end of the day, they take in total three cars out."

Verstappen said he tried to avoid the incident, but there was nothing he could do.

"I tried to back out of it because I could see it coming, but the rear tyres are wider than the front so I couldn't back out of it anymore," he added.

"I was in the middle without doing anything wrong, I was just trying to have a clean start. I'm happy that not only I retired, but all three of us, so we all have a bit of pain. If I make a mistake myself and go off, that's a different story.

Kimi Raikkonen of Finland driving the (7) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer stop at the side of the circuit after colliding at the start during the Formula One

Image credit: Getty Images

"I could see Kimi had a great start so I tried not to defend that as it's a long race but after 200 metres everything was done."

Raikkonen added: "I don't think I could have done anything to change the end result apart from doing a bad start and not being there.

"That's not really my fault. Whatever the cause of the accident is, it doesn't change the end result. There are always different views, but I don't think I could have done anything different.

The FIA said it will investigate the accident after the race.

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