Verstappen blames Vettel for first-lap collision

Max Verstappen placed the majority of blame on Sebastian Vettel for the first lap collision that took both drivers and Kimi Raikkonen out of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Raikkonen's excellent start saw the Finn on the inside approaching Turn 1, with Verstappen sandwiched between the two Ferraris as Vettel moved across to defend the inside line. Contact between Verstappen and Raikkonen broke the Ferrari's rear suspension, leading to Raikkonen hitting the side of Vettel's car.

While both Raikkonen and Verstappen retired at the first corner, Vettel made it to the exit of Turn 3 before spinning into the wall and being told to stop, with the Red Bull driver pointing the finger at the pole sitter after the crash.

"I think mainly Sebastian," Verstappen said when asked who was to blame. "He started squeezing me. Maybe he didn't see Kimi on the left but that's not an excuse, I think if you are fighting for the world championship, you shouldn't take those risks and really squeeze someone that much.

"You can see what happens – Lewis is leading the race and the three of us are out. I tried to back out of it because I could see it coming but the rear tires are wider than the front so I couldn't back out of it. [I had] suspension damage.

"Into the first corner those things can happen because Kimi had only two tires left."

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Asked if he sees it as a racing incident, Verstappen added: "I don't think it was a racing incident.

"At the end of the day they take a total of three cars and I was in the middle without doing anything wrong. I was just trying to have a clean start but we'll see what happens. At the end of the day, not only I retired, but all three of us have a bit of pain."

All three drivers involved were called to the stewards after the race as the FIA investigates the incident.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images from the accident sequence.

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