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M-Sport's Smith apologises for Blancpain Monza pile-up

Bentley factory driver Guy Smith has apologised for his part in the startline accident that removed 11 cars from the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup opener at Monza last month.

The 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours winner told Autosport that he "had felt compelled to say sorry for ruining people's races" after he triggered the incident in the M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 he shared with Steven Kane and Oliver Jarvis.

Speaking ahead of today's second round of the Endurance Cup at Silverstone, he said: "I got a list out and went around the paddock here to apologise to as many people as possible.

"I know I can't change anything, but I felt it was the right thing to do."

The accident happened when Smith attempted to move between the two front-row cars as the lights went green.

He initially made light contact with Grasser Lamborghini driver Ezequiel Perez Companc, which caused an oversteer moment that put him into the Italian car for a second time.

Companc went onto the grass and spun in front of the pack, which resulted in the multi-car pile-up that led to a red flag.

"The Ferrari [driven by Pasin Lathouras] moved a little bit towards me and I moved towards the Lamborghini and just touched it," explained Smith.

"The touch had a huge knock-on effect and I feel terrible, because so many cars were taken out.

"Was it my fault? I don't know, but I would like to say it was not intentional."

Smith's Bentley was subsequently excluded from the race after M-Sport opted not to bring the car in to take a 15-second stop-go for causing the accident, and it was eventually blackflagged for ignoring the penalty board.

The team claimed that there had been a miscommunication with race officials over the possibility of appealing the penalty.

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