Di Resta: Ambitious driving cost me

The Force India driver ran 13th early on, but collided with Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso at the Loews hairpin on lap 24.

The British driver needed a replacement nosecone after the incident, and was also given a drive-through penalty for causing it.

Later he had a near-identical incident with Jerome d'Ambrosio's Virgin at the same corner, again damaging his nose. He eventually finished 12th.

"I think it was all running quite smoothly to begin with and our strategy seemed to be going well," said di Resta.

"After my first pitstop the team told me that to make the strategy work I needed to pass Alguersuari, so I tried to overtake him at the hairpin. That's when I made contact and damaged my front wing, which is why I had to make an early second stop.

"I have to hold my hands up for this accident because I was probably a bit too ambitious. It's a shame because the car was working well and without this incident I think I could have scored some points."

Di Resta's team-mate Adrian Sutil copied winner Sebastian Vettel's one-stop strategy and held fourth place for almost 40 laps after surging forwards when the safety car came out at mid-distance.

However, on worn tyres, he slipped back to seventh by lap 72 and sustained a right-rear puncture after hitting the barrier at Tabac as he was passed by Pastor Maldonado. He finished a lapped seventh.

"Our plan was to do a one-stop strategy," said the German. "When the first safety car came out I pitted to take the option tyres and I knew I would be on them for a very long time. I tried to make them last, although they dropped off with about 15 laps to go and that's when I had a big train of cars behind me.

"It was then that I ran wide on the marbles at turn 12, which gave me a right rear puncture. But that's when the safety car came out and I pitted to change tyres so I didn't lose too much ground. So I was in eighth when the race restarted and ended the race in seventh.

"It's a great result for the team and we're all very happy because we've been waiting a while for this."