Verstappen experienced enough not to crash - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel says Max Verstappen "has had enough races" to know how to avoid the contact which wrecked both drivers' Chinese Grand Prix. Verstappen clipped Vettel attempting an overtake into the hairpin at Shanghai, sending both cars into a spin and prompting a penalty for the Red Bull driver.

Verstappen's overtaking was a controversial topic of the Bahrain Grand Prix and more ambitious moves might have cost him the race win in Shanghai.

Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo made good use of fresh tyres to storm through the pack for victory, but Verstappen had run ahead of the Australian until he was nudged off-track trying to go around the outside of Lewis Hamilton.

A potential podium was then wiped out by his crash with Vettel, which completely ruined the championship leader's race as he finished eighth.

Verstappen hace 'strike' contra Vettel. #CHNmovistarF1 pic.twitter.com/FK5VXPUkWo — F1 en Movistar+ (@movistar_F1) April 15, 2018

After contact with Hamilton ended his race in Sakhir, Verstappen's inexperience was pointed out by the world champion, but Vettel is not buying that excuse.

"He's not [a young driver] anymore," Vettel told Sky Sports. "He's had enough races but this can happen when you've had 300 races - the judgments are very difficult.

"But you have to have these things in mind and make sure you don't crash.

"He could have taken his front wing off or I could have had a puncture and it could have been game over. We were both lucky."

Vettel said he had no intention of closing the door on Verstappen, who suffered a slight lock-up of the rear wheels and admitted fault over the incident later.

"I didn't see him until very late. I left a little bit of room as well," he said.

"I was expecting him to come earlier. I had no intention to resist because it was clear with Daniel as well that there was no point doing so – they were just too quick on the fresh tyres.

"I didn't want to compromise my race to the guys behind. But he made a mistake, locked up – it happens with a tailwind down that straight – I guess he misjudged and compromised both our races."