Mark Webber says he believed Jean-Eric Vergne was aware he was behind him and was leaving a gap to allow the Red Bull driver past.
The Australian, who started from the pitlane, was working his way through the field from 22nd and came up against sister-team driver Vergne. Webber attempted to pass but the pair collided, costing Webber a place to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
Webber insists Vergne knew of his presence, and says he thought the Frenchman was gifting him the position because he left an unusually large gap.
“I was regrouping and coming through the field and got to Jean-Eric,” said Webber.
“I was coming from a reasonable distance back but he knew I was there. He was really, really wide and looking like he opened the corner and was giving me the line.
“But we got to the apex and he took it,” he added.
“It’s disappointing. He was entitled to do that, but if he’d just gone around the outside we would’ve both survived.”
Webber doesn’t believe the collision cost him too much in terms of his race position, but later retired with a loose-rear wheel though.
“It wasn’t the end of the world as we were only a couple of laps off stopping for tyres anyway.
“The guys thought the wheel was done, but it came off on the out-lap,” he explained.
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