Montreal ePrix – MS Amlin Andretti driver Robin Frijns says that Sebastien Buemi was “crying” and acting “ridiculous” after a tough race.
Buemi started 12th on the grid after receiving a ten-place grid penalty for a battery change following a heavy shunt in FP2.
At Turn 2 there was slight contact between him and Frijns, after which the Renault e.dams driver had bent steering.
“I already overtook him before I turned in. So I turned in and it felt like maybe a little touch on the left-rear,” Frijns said.
“I tried to avoid him, which I did, and I overtook him suddenly and that wasn’t really planned but that’s sometimes how it goes.
“It was a very small hit so I don’t really think his steering was bent because of that. But that’s his opinion against mine.”
Immediately after the race Buemi, where he finished fourth, went to the Andretti garage and confronted both Frijns and team mate Antonio Felix da Costa about the incident.
“I don’t know what he’s crying about. He came to me and said, ‘You were a maniac in Turn 2’. What should I do?
“I had a choice to make: hit you from behind or avoid you. And I avoided him. So next time I should hit your rear and break your rear wing? It’s a bit ridiculous how he does things.
“He thinks that everyone needs to move for him and he’s the championship leader, or he was. It’s a bit of a shame how he does things.
“It’s still racing and we try to do our best even though we don’t have the quickest car.”
Buemi believes that Frijns was taking unnecessary risks around him at the start of the race:
“I’m just saying we are fighting for the championship. In Turn 2 we don’t need to take risks like that. At some point we need to finish the race,” he said.
“When you dive like some people did today and create and accident, what? You want to finish your race in Turn 2? You try to be hard but still within the limits.
“If I’m not opening the corner, if I’m not avoiding the accident it would be a big crash. I didn’t see the point of doing that.”
