Q & A with Jarno Trulli

Jarno Trulli: I am not angry because of the result, I am angry because of the manoeuvre which was extremely, extremely dangerous. We know it is an easy flat out corner, and he should have given me enough space not to go on the kerbs. We were in sixth gear and we were lucky that no one got injured - but this was something really bad.

Q. Adrian says he could not see you in the rear view mirror.

JT: Yeah, because I was next to him! And why then did he protect himself on the inside? He knew that he came out of that corner very slow because of Kimi Raikkonen. I didn't know what happened to Raikkonen. I saw them suddenly slow down. I thought if I could pull away, Sutil would stay there and I was coming with much more speed. He went on the inside so I went on the outside, and we went side-to-side to him. There is an onboard camera showing my front wheel next to his wheel, so if you looking at the back then I am not there.

He might say that he drove on the racing line. Yes, but I am still on the racing line in this case. So if you decide to stay on the inside, then stay on the inside. Don't pull on the outside because I am there - and you can see him there. The problem was that he put me over the kerbs - and once I was on the kerbs I lost car control completely.

And the fact that I hit him on the back is that once I was on the kerbs that car got unstable. I lifted off and then I hit him on the back - even though at the time I was next to him.

Q. Are there some drivers that need a slap on the wrist?

JT: I spoke with Fernando Alonso straight after crash, as he saw the accident. He said that Sutil is totally crazy. What he did was totally crazy. Because we were probably at 250-260km/h, flat in sixth gear. It is a straight, even though it is a bend, because it is flat in wet and dry conditions - and you cannot push someone like that. If there was a wall I would have hit the wall straight. He sent me over the kerbs.

Q. So you don't accept his apology that he could not see you, which is why he moved across?

JT: Well, I think he really thought I was stupid. But the problem is, he pulled onto the inside to protect himself because he knew the speed difference - as he had a problem with the car in front. When that happens the first thing you do is look in the mirror and protect yourself as you know someone is going to come.

That is why he went on the inside, and I went on the outside. Clearly you can see from the television images and the onboard shots that I was next to him. So why did he pull onto the outside line and then push me on the kerbs. I can accept that he did not see me in his mirrors, but there was no one to see in the mirrors at that stage.

Q. Even if he says he says he could not see you at all...

JT: No. No. No. Come on. It is impossible. The speed difference was too much. You can expect someone coming clearly quick next to you. This is what happened. You can see I was three lengths behind in the shot before Turn 4. This gives you an idea because there is no shot between Turn 4 and Turn 5. You only see after Turn 5 and you can see, in Turn 5 already that I am next to him. So what happened between Turn 4 and Turn 5?

It is what I am telling you - he lost three car lengths because he basically ran nearly into Kimi. So he lifted off, and probably had to brake because the speed difference between me and him was too much. I can understand that he protected himself going onto the inside, but you have to leave me enough space to go around. You know I am coming much quicker than you.

Can you imagine - I know that you are quicker than me, so I go on the inside and then I try to push you on the outside, ignoring that you are going to go there? It is an easy flat corner. You cannot imagine anyone to lift off there, even on the outside. You can go around that corner flat three cars together.

Q. Is this the worst incident of its type that you seen in Formula 1?

JT: Honestly, yes. That is why I was so bloody nervous afterwards when I jumped out of the car. To happen once is a racing accident - we might have a touch or we might bang wheels. But when someone does it deliberately at that speed, this is crazy. It is unacceptable. You cannot do that. It is like a straight - you are flat, and he basically sent me onto the kerbs and grass when I was on the straight. I cannot accept any apology, I am sorry. It is clear to anyone in the paddock that you cannot do that.

Q. In all the years you have been in F1, I have never seen you so upset.

JT: You know why, because it was dangerous. The way I lost the car control immediately I touched the kerb. I was next to him and it was enough to push me right onto the kerbs, then he was still on the inside. It was flat. We were on the straight, not in the corner, and I was worried as I spun about if anyone would come and hit me.

Q. And you saw what happened when Sutil collected Alonso afterwards?

JT: This is what I was wondering. On the straight at 260km/h you cannot play these games.

Q. Would you have driven the same with another driver, because Adrian claims there is a lack of respect as he is a Force India driver?

JT: I respect everyone in the paddock. I am the first man to respect everyone in this paddock. But what he has done today is totally crazy. And you ask any driver in the paddock for their comments about this - you ask Alonso, who was right behind me. He told me - it's a crazy manoeuvre. You cannot push someone on the straight line, flat out at 260km/h, straight onto the grass. It is unacceptable, come on.

Q. John Howett reckoned a podium place would have been possible?

JT: Yes. I totally agree. Maybe even fighting for the victory because on Friday I was very quick and very competitive. I had enough fuel. The strategy was fine. The start was good, so I was in the frame honestly to fight for the win. The car all weekend was very good.

Q. So how do you go about racing someone that you don't trust like this?

JT: I think in the paddock everyone knows him because he is always involved in accidents. But this one was the basic concept. You can go into a corner, brake later being on the inside or outside, make a collision or have a crash. You can argue that it is a racing accident. But pushing someone on the straight, because it was a straight. Trying to push him on the outside line and on the kerbs at 260km/h - you must be really mad. You must be crazy.

Q. With the FIA having done nothing, is it now a GPDA issue?

JT: We will talk about it I am sure, because it is something unacceptable. And the guy, Alonso, who was behind me said it was crazy.