Vettel insists collision not his fault

Webber was leading Vettel on lap 40, with the McLarens just behind, when the German drew alongside approaching Turn 12. But the pair made contact, with Webber going wide and falling to third and Vettel forced to retire. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button went on to finish first and second.

"Obviously, I think if you look at the pictures it was clear I had the inside," said Vettel. "I went on the inside, I was ahead and just going down to focus on the braking point and honestly, you can see we touched and he touched my right rear wheel and I went off."

He denied that the collision was going to put the intra-team relationships at Red Bull under strain.

"There is no fight," Vettel insisted. "This is something that happens. We do not need it but there is nothing we can do now.

"Obviously I am not very happy, I was inside focusing on the braking point, we touched and that was it."

He did not think he was clearly faster than Webber at that point, but was confident he could have completed the pass.

"I think at that stage, Mark, myself and Lewis were pretty much the same," Vettel said. "I was a bit quicker than Mark, I was getting closer and I knew I could maybe get him on the back straight. It was close, I passed him on the left and that was the story."