Monteiro critical of Sato

Monteiro suffered damage after he crashed with his Japanese rival at Turn One on the restart following a safety car period.

It is the second time that Aguri and Midland drivers have clashed this year, after Yuji Ide and Christijan Albers' spectacular accident at Imola, and Monteiro is far from impressed.

"Two times this year the drivers from the Aguri team wanted to win the race on the first lap, and it never works you know?" he said. "The race, there are so many laps so go, but they always take too many risks.

"Now he (Sato) was out of the race, and I'm out as well, which is ridiculous."

Monteiro's disappointment about what happened was amplified by the fact that the huge rate of attrition meant he had a chance of finishing in the points if he had made it to the chequered flag.

"The Bridgestone tyres worked well here and I like this track very much," he said. "Last year, our performance was good as well. I was really aiming for the points here, so it's a wasted opportunity."

Sato, however, is adamant that Monteiro has to take some responsibility for their collision.

"I was only at the half of a car level inside of his car, but unfortunately at the braking he just turned in," explained the Japanese driver. "I kept coming, and unfortunately I had to go over a kerb to avoid him and it launched the car off the track.

"The only thing you can say is that obviously he knew I was inside, and if he would have left just one car lane then he would still be inside for Turn Two and we would have kept racing."