Nico Rosberg said he was pleased Sergio Perez suffered a puncture after making a “dangerous” move during the Japanese Grand Prix.
The pair made contact at the chicane on lap 41, Rosberg’s front wing damaging Perez’s tire.
Rosberg told Sky: “The rules are clear if you brake and close the door you can’t move out again. I was there and he didn’t leave space so…”
“But it worked out perfectly,” Rosberg added, “he broke his tire, I was through. So that was good there.”
But McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh defended Perez over the incident, telling the BBC: “If you’re that far behind – [Rosberg] wasn’t alongside, he wasn’t even half alongside – if you hit someone from behind and give them a puncture you don’t often complain about it.”
It was the second run-in between Rosberg and Perez during the race. On lap 13 Rosberd was waved out of his pit-box in front of Perez, forcing the McLaren driver to avoid him. Rosberg was given a drive-through penalty.
The Mercedes driver said the stewards’ decision was “well deserved” and he “knew it was coming too”.
“It was obvious, a dangerous release so that was that and just a pity that happened and from then on it was always going to be difficult,” he added.
