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Tonio Liuzzi blames Heikki Kovalainen for Italian Grand Prix start crash

Tonio Liuzzi said he was "just a passenger" in the first-corner carnage at Monza - for which the HRT driver was judged responsible and given a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Singapore

Liuzzi's HRT collected Vitaly Petrov's Renault and Nico Rosberg's Mercedes at the first chicane after spinning down the grass, causing a traffic jam that delayed many other drivers.

But though the stewards decided that Liuzzi was to blame, he said he had been squeezed onto the grass by Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen.

"It was a shame and I apologise to Rosberg and Petrov but it wasn't my fault because I got squeezed into the grass by Kovalainen," Liuzzi told AUTOSPORT.

"Once I was on the grass I lost completely the control of the car and that is why it happened and everything."

He added: "I went on the right side of Kovalainen and then he squeezed on to the grass and once I was on there it was already the braking point. I tried to brake but obviously we had no grip and that's why we lost the car."

Liuzzi explained that he felt he had regained control once, only to lose it again further down the run-off area.

Asked what he was thinking as the accident unfolded, he replied: "Basically it was 'oh s**t'. That it's a shame because I was sure I was going to hit somebody.

"First time when I drifted I controlled the car even on the grass but then the second time I lost it and it was then.

"I was sure I would hit somebody but at the end of the day I couldn't do much because Kovalainen pushed me completely on the grass and that's why it happened. I was just a passenger.

"It was a shame because we had a really amazing start. I passed Daniel [Ricciardo] and both Virgins and I was also passing a Lotus but it didn't happen."

Liuzzi acknowledged that even though he felt Kovalainen was at fault, he was not sure of the Lotus' situation at the time of the incident.

"I think of Kovalainen had not closed the door we would have escaped because I think there was space enough," said Liuzzi.

"But I want to watch the videos because somebody told me he got closed down as well, but for sure he closed on me and the put me on the grass.

"For sure there was the possibility to the avoid it."

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