A three-place grid penalty has been imposed on Mark Webber for the Bahrain Grand Prix following his collision with Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso in Shanghai.
The Australian made contact with the Frenchman, causing him to spin while attempting to secure 12th position on Lap 16 of 56.
This collision resulted in damage to Webber’s front wing, necessitating a pit stop that directly led to his misfortune – a left-rear wheel detaching from the RB9 during Webber’s outlap.
Post-race, Vergne indicated that Webber should have waited until the next straight to attempt the overtaking maneuver, while Webber questioned why the Toro Rosso driver hadn’t provided more space.
“I was coming from a reasonable distance back but he knew I was there,” Webber stated.
“He was really, really wide and looked like he was opening the corner to give me the line.
“However, when we reached the apex, he took it. It’s disappointing. He had the right to do that, but if he had just gone around the outside, we both would’ve made it through.”
Ultimately, Vergne finished in 12th place, expressing concerns that the incident with Webber had caused damage to his car’s floor.
