Monaco: Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was handed a 10-place grid penalty for next month's Canadian Formula One Grand Prix after smashing into the back of Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso in Monaco on Sunday.
Stewards ruled that the Frenchman, who had a spate of accidents last year and was banned for one race, had caused the collision as the two cars exited the tunnel on lap 62 of the crash-strewn 78-lap race.
Grosjean had made clear after the race that he blamed the Australian. "I have been following him for 61 laps and he was really struggling with his rear tyres, he had a lot of graining so no more grip," he told reporters.
"I was very close in the tunnel and I had to follow his line for a lot of laps and I got caught by the fact that he braked very early in the middle of the track."
Grosjean said the most frustrating thing about his weekend was in qualifying when he said he had been blocked by Ricciardo and had to start in 13th place. The Australian, who had been 13th when hit by Grosjean, saw it differently.
"I could see that Grosjean had got a good run out of the tunnel and that he was close so I defended my line and the next thing I knew he was over the back of me," he said.
"I haven't seen it on a TV yet, but at the moment I believe it was a misjudgement on his part and a costly one that was quite dangerous." The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal is on June 9.
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