War of words! Latifi and Stroll blame game after crash

Stroll’s Aston Martin and Latifi’s Williams clashed during Q1, forcing both out of the session and meaning they will begin Sunday’s race on the back row.

Stroll was accused of a “lack of situational awareness” and was “predominantly to blame”, the stewards ruled after reviewing a video replay.

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But that didn’t stop the drivers engaging in a blame game.

"I let him through because he was pushing to open the lap, so I was told, and then I saw he'd aborted the lap, so I wanted to carry on with my own preparation lap, so I went back by him," Latifi explained to Sky Sports F1.

"There was a big gap and once I kind of got past him, for whatever reason, he does that at the turn.

"It's clear for me on the video, [so] there's not much more to say."

Stroll hit back: "We were on a cool lap. I saw the video; he went to try and pass me all of a sudden in a very awkward part of the circuit.

"The circuit falls off to the right and then to the left, where that is. I think what happened was just very awkward at an awkward part of the track.

"He was all of a sudden trying to cut by me and it gets narrower as the circuit falls to the right, and then we make contact. It's pretty ridiculous."

When is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?

Sunday April 10 at 6am UK.

How can I watch on TV in the UK?

Race build-up for the Australian Grand Prix begins at 4.30am on Sunday April 10 on Sky Sports F1.

Channel 4 will show race highlights at 3.05pm 

How else can I follow the Australian Grand Prix? 

Besides TV coverage, Crash.net will be providing live text commentary of every practice, qualifying and race session in 2022. 

Follow @CRASH_NET_F1 for the latest F1 news, analysis and paddock reaction.

Previous F1 Australian Grand Prix winners: 

2020-2021: Not held 

2019: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 

2018: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 

2017: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

2016: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 

2015: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 

2014: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 

2013: Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 

2012: Jenson Button (McLaren) 

2011: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 

2010: Jenson Button (McLaren) 

Most F1 Australian Grand Prix wins 

Michael Schumacher: 4 wins (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) 

Sebastian Vettel: 3 wins (2011, 2017, 2018) 

Jenson Button: 3 wins (2009, 2010, 2012) 

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