Max Verstappen has described contact with the Ferraris at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix as "ridiculous", and says Kimi Raikkonen is just "moaning".
Raikkonen was angered by Verstappen's defensive driving at Les Combes, with the Red Bull driver forcing the Ferrari wide on lap 12 and then shutting the door on the Kemmel Straight a lap later. Verstappen says he was defending robustly after contact with the Ferraris at Turn 1, when Sebastian Vettel turned in and hit Raikkonen who had the 18-year-old on his inside.
“Yeah of course the start wasn’t great but from there I dived up the inside, I didn’t lock a wheel so I was easily making the corner but they just kept squeezing me," Verstappen said. "At one point I was on the inside, Kimi was again squeezing me and Sebastian just turned in on both of us. That took my front wing, I had a lot of damage and also the floor got destroyed so from there on your race is gone.
“Definitely [Vettel should have left room], I mean he knows that he’s on the outside and suddenly he just turns into the corner where there are two other cars, so I think that’s pretty logical.”
Asked for his thoughts on Raikkonen's comments later in the race that Verstappen just wants to drive him off the road, the Dutchman replied: “Ah he should say that at Turn 1… I mean, it’s ridiculous.
"It’s good television if somebody is moaning. Especially after Turn 1 when they do something to you like that, I’m not going to give up my position to them that easy afterwards.”
Asked if he believes he might be being too aggressive, Verstappen said: “To be honest I think that’s a big lie.
"I’m just defending my position and if somebody doesn't like it it’s his own problem.”
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