Liam Lawson said Formula 1’s racing guidelines show he was not in the wrong over the collision which put Fernando Alonso out of the sprint race.
The pair made contact at turn 12 while Lawson was trying to overtake the Aston Martin driver. He tried to pass on the outside of turn 11, went off the track on the outside of the corner, then tangled with Alonso as he rejoined.
Lawson referred to F1’s racing guidelines, pointing out he got ahead of Alonso on the approach to the corner, and therefore his rival should have left him room.
“He came out on cold tyres and I’d done a lap [since pitting], so I was trying to get by early in the lap,” Lawson explained. “I waited for DRS, made sure to get my wheels ahead at the apex when I’m trying to overtake, and I feel I did that.
“Then I got squeezed off. At that point, honestly, I was heading for the concrete wall and I was trying to get out, but he just left me no space. So obviously it was not my intention, but I do feel like I had my wheels ahead.”
Lawson took the chequered flag in seventh place for his first points of the season. However he is under investigation for the collision.
The Racing Bulls driver made his way forward after qualifying 14th. “It was a good race, a really good start to the weekend,” he said.
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“It was down to the first lap, sometimes it happens where the gap is just open for you and you go sailing on through and that’s what happened to us. So I’m grateful for that.
“I think the pace was pretty good as well from that point so it’s good for us and I’m happy to come in with points.”
Alonso said he compromised his race by waiting too long to switch to slick tyres. “It was a good drive today and unfortunately we stopped way too late to fit the dry tyres,” he told the official F1 channel.
“I was fighting with Lewis [Hamilton] and Alex [Albon] at one point in the race and then we ended up fighting with Lawson behind. I think we missed an opportunity to score points but I was driving my maximum.”
This article will be updated
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