Sebastian Vettel: Lewis Hamilton squeezed me into Italian GP spin
Sebastian Vettel is adamant Formula 1 title rival Lewis Hamilton squeezed him into his first-lap spin in the Italian Grand Prix
Vettel could only finish fourth at Monza having spun to the back when he made contact with Hamilton as the Mercedes went around his outside at the Roggia chicane on the opening lap.
Hamilton then beat Vettel's Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to victory and extended his championship lead to 30 points.
"Lewis obviously saw a little gap around the outside," Vettel told Sky Sports F1.
"But then he didn't leave me any space and I had no other choice than to run into him and make contact.
"I tried to obviously get out of there but I couldn't.
"Unfortunately I was the one that spun around, which was a bit ironic. But it was that way."
Hamilton continued in second place behind Raikkonen after the incident, but escaped without damage and was able to snatch the win with an overtake eight laps from the end.
Vettel had to pit for a new front wing and then fought through to fifth on the road, before gaining another place via a penalty for Max Verstappen.
"When you're looking the wrong way, things do not look too peachy," Vettel added.
"But from there I think I drove well and tried to recover. We still got a lot of points so it could have been a lot worse today.
"Obviously it doesn't help when you lose points but it's not the end of the world. We'll all still wake up tomorrow morning.
"For sure I'm down at the moment but mostly for the people [here].
"Their support has been incredible. Unfortunately, we didn't deliver.
"But then what can you do when you get spun around?
"It could have been a good race, but it wasn't. It was still very entertaining, probably more entertaining that way, but not very satisfying."
Ferrari had swept the front row at Monza, a week after Vettel's dominant Spa victory.
He insisted his conviction that Ferrari was currently faster than Mercedes meant the fact his championship deficit to Hamilton was the biggest it had been all year was nothing to be concerned about.
"I'm not too worried. I think we have the pace," said Vettel.
"The points sound a lot but actually it doesn't take a long time to get them down."
Hamilton grabs Italian GP win from Raikkonen; clashes with Vettel
Lewis Hamilton: I gave Sebastian Vettel enough space in Monza clash
Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP
Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP
Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision
Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility?
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility? Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility?
Hamilton: "Something's up" if Red Bull doesn't win F1 Japanese GP by 30 seconds
Hamilton: "Something's up" if Red Bull doesn't win F1 Japanese GP by 30 seconds Hamilton: "Something's up" if Red Bull doesn't win F1 Japanese GP by 30 seconds
Red Bull's rivals expect immediate F1 bounce back at Suzuka
Red Bull's rivals expect immediate F1 bounce back at Suzuka Red Bull's rivals expect immediate F1 bounce back at Suzuka
The home crowd favourites seeking F1 British GP glory
The home crowd favourites seeking F1 British GP glory The home crowd favourites seeking F1 British GP glory
F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more
F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more
Leclerc stunned by "crazy" gap to Verstappen in Japan F1 qualifying
Leclerc stunned by "crazy" gap to Verstappen in Japan F1 qualifying Leclerc stunned by "crazy" gap to Verstappen in Japan F1 qualifying
Sainz: No regrets after U-turn on failed Ferrari F1 car set-up gamble
Sainz: No regrets after U-turn on failed Ferrari F1 car set-up gamble Sainz: No regrets after U-turn on failed Ferrari F1 car set-up gamble
Norris: Hard to beat Verstappen unless Piastri emulates Senna/Prost in Japan F1 race
Norris: Hard to beat Verstappen unless Piastri emulates Senna/Prost in Japan F1 race Norris: Hard to beat Verstappen unless Piastri emulates Senna/Prost in Japan F1 race
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius
Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius
The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP
The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP
The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake
The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake
Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak
The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak
How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks
How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.