Maldonado: Gutierrez clash a misunderstanding

Pastor Maldonado has revealed he has been in touch with Esteban Gutierrez since their coming together in Bahrain and he believes the incident was a 'misunderstanding' on 'both sides'.

Maldonado and Gutierrez clashed in the latter stages of last weekend's race, the third round in the 2014 F1 World Championship, with the former hitting the right rear of the latter's car, sending the Sauber barrel-rolling across the track.

It was a scary accident and initially saw Maldonado hit with a drive-through penalty, although post-race he was also slapped with three points on his F1 super licence and given a five-place grid penalty for the next race in China. Despite that though, he still doesn't seem to think he was at fault.

"Yes, we have been in touch," Maldonado said when asked if he has spoken to the Mexican since that moment on lap 41.

"I think it was a misunderstanding from both sides. He was out of line in the entry of the corner and I was completely committed to the corner. He said that he didn't see me, and I didn't expect him to turn in."

Gutierrez's view meanwhile, it is worth reiterating, was rather different.

"First of all, the most important is that I am okay. They did all the checks at the hospital and everything is fine. Concerning the accident, I was completely surprised that Pastor, who came out of the pits, ran into me. I was clearly in front of him. I turned into the corner and I was suddenly hit and I rolled over," noted the Sauber man after the race.

"There was nothing much I could do."