Lance Stroll has defended Sebastian Vettel following the collision between the pair in the Italian Grand Prix.

Vettel was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for pulling onto the track in front of Stroll and causing a collision between the pair. Stroll then rejoined the track in front of Pierre Gasly, forcing the Toro Rosso driver wide. The Racing Point driver was given a more lenient drive-through penalty.

Stroll believes the pair should have been treated the same way. “I think it should have been an identical penalty, both a drive-through,” he said. “I don’t know why not.”

“I think that that’s not really fair to be honest because it was exactly the same thing that I did,” he added.

Vettel was also given three penalty points on his licence compared to two for Stroll.

Stroll said there was nothing he could do to avoid the Ferrari after Vettel spun in the Ascari chicane.

“He was literally blocking the circuit coming back on the track in the way he was,” said Stroll. “I tried to avoid him but he just clipped me, coming back on the circuit. He clipped my rear-right and that spun me around.

“Then from there I came back on as well without being able to see anyone coming from my right. I was in the middle of the circuit out of turn 10 so I was just trying to get out of the way and I think something happened very similar to what happened with Seb just coming back on the circuit.”

Additional reporting by Josh Holland.

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2019 F1 season