15/04/2018
NEWS STORY
Just a week after the clash with Lewis Hamilton that resulted in the four-time world champion claiming that - among other things - he lacked respect, Max Verstappen has accepted responsibility for his latest clash with Sebastian Vettel during today's Chinese Grand Prix.
On fresh rubber following a superb strategic move when the safety car was deployed, Verstappen, like his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo, was picking off those cars ahead that had missed the strategic trick.
While battling with the German for third, Verstappen, using a tactic that had previously paid off for his teammate, made a move at the hairpin. Unfortunately, whereas all Ricciardo's passes had been made with clinical precision, the Dutchman was clumsy and clattered into the Ferrari causing both to spin.
The stewards subsequently agreed and hit the youngster with a 10s time penalty that would eventually see him demoted from fourth to fifth.
"I could see he was struggling on the tyres and tried to brake late in the corners, I locked the rears and hit him... it was, of course, my fault," he admitted. "Not what I want.
"It is easy to say after I should have waited, and that probably would have been the best idea, but unfortunately it happened," he added.
Asked, in the light of last week's incident which was to lead to his retirement just three laps in to the race, whether he should perhaps calm down a little, Verstappen said: "It is easy to comment. At the moment it is not going the way I like, of course, but does it mean I have to calm down? I don't think so.
"It is very unfortunate those things happening and I need to analyse everything and try to come back stronger for the next races."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Shanghai, here.