Massa: Sainz Canada crash deserved strong penalty like Grosjean ban

Massa was taken out by Sainz on entry into Turn 3 on the opening lap in Montreal as the Toro Rosso driver lost control after contact with Haas driver Grosjean.

Sainz was handed a three-place grid penalty for the crash, despite his insistence that Grosjean had been in the blind spot of his rear view mirror.

But Massa said Sainz was let off easy, suggesting the accident was similar to one caused by Grosjean at the first corner at Spa in 2012 that earned the Frenchman a one-race ban.

"When I saw [the crash], he [Sainz] started it, which is a shame.

"I don't think it was so different compared to what Grosjean did and he [Sainz] only lost three places at the start.

"I remember before, when Grosjean was doing a few dangerous manoeuvres they gave him one race at home.

"But now I think maybe they need to be strong as well.

"Fortunately nothing happened [in Canada] but it could have been like a big accident.

"And I think if we had a big accident, the result would have been different, which is not correct.

"We saw so many people losing three places [on the grid] by doing a very little thing - and then you are doing a lot more dangerous thing and you have three places.

"It's inconsistent."

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner criticised Sainz's "dull" mirrors argument after the Canadian Grand Prix, the Spaniard having already picked up a reprimand for a near-miss with Grosjean's team-mate Kevin Magnussen on Friday before twice moving over on Grosjean at the start of the race.

Two weeks on, Steiner said Sainz's repeated rules infringements were "hurting his reputation".

"I think he should know better, he is a better driver than that in my opinion," said Steiner.

"I was quite disappointed about his moves in Canada; he couldn't see Magnussen coming, he got a reprimand and no points on license.

"It was the same with us with [Esteban] Gutierrez last year and we got five places of grid penalty.

"[Sainz] got away well there and for me there is a point in saying he does the same thing in the race, he knows he doesn't see in his mirrors, that is what he says twice.

"To run into [Grosjean] once and then go back and run into him a second time was, like, come on.

"I don't think he needs to have this behaviour because he is better than that as a driver, he is a good driver.

"This is hurting his reputation.

"If you do it once, it is fine, but if you keep on doing it, it's like - 'is he actually not as good as I think he is?'"