Verstappen blames Grosjean for crash

Max Verstappen has blamed Romain Grosjean for causing his crash in the 2015 F1 Monaco Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Grosjean were squabbling for the tenth and the final points' position in the latter stages of the race, when the accident occurred, with the 17-year-old slamming into the back of the Lotus at Ste Devote.

Verstappen was subsequently hit with a five-place grid penalty for the following event in Canada, after the stewards ruled he was responsible for the incident. He was also given two penalty points on his licence. However, Verstappen was adamant he was not trying to pass Grosjean and that Frenchman had braked a lot earlier than on the previous lap.

"It was not even a move. I mean the lap before I braked on exactly the same spot but clearly in the lap we crashed, he braked 10 to 15 metres earlier, and if you are that close to each other and you going to 80 from 290 there is no room and you cannot go anywhere," Verstappen explained.

"I really tried to avoid it and maybe it looked like an overtake, but he braked way earlier than the lap before and normally the whole race you are braking within five metres."

So did Grosjean brake test him?

"Kind of, he was for sure braking ten to 15 metres earlier..." Verstappen added.

"On the moment he braked [I realised what he was doing] but then you are too late, because you don't expect somebody to brake that early and if you are that close to each other, you have no room to go anywhere.

"It is very dangerous and for sure it will be a bit sore tomorrow. It was a strong impact, but I felt quite okay afterwards. It is just a bit stiff."

Meanwhile, Grosjean responded by telling reporters that the first thing he knew about it was when Verstappen's car was "flying past me in the air!"

"I didn't see much of the accident with Verstappen, just his car flying past me in the air!" Grosjean confirmed. "Overtaking in Monaco is difficult and I think he gained that bit of experience on Sunday. It's good to know he's okay, as it was a bit dangerous for both of us, and it cost us what would have been a hard-earned point. After the accident, I turned around which established all four wheels were there, then looked in the mirrors to see if the rear wing was still there too, then got on with my race..."