ꦍJarno Trulli hit out at Formula 1 rival S?bastien Bourdais following the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, in which a collision between the pair at the start destroyed the Italian's race.

The two drivers had lined up alongside each other on the fourth row of the grid and Trulli approached the first corner narrowly ahead, but as Bourdais dived to the inside they touched, sending the Toyota into a spin, with the resultant bodywork damage proving to be too serious to be able to continue. Afterwards the 34-year-old made clear his anger with the Frenchman, who had similarly knocked him into a spin in the Belgian Grand Prix early 💛last month.

"This guy has to cool down a little bit and make up his mind," Trulli told ITV Sport, "because at the start he doesn't know what he wants to do. Away from the line I was side-by-side with [Sebastian] Vettel; obviously he was on the inside so I had to give up, then I had a hit on the rear-right and they told me it was Bourdais♒. My car was damaged really badly and I had to retire.

"It is frustrating because he did this once before this year at Spa, where he also ruined my race at the first corner. Today I couldn't carry on, which is a pity because we had a very good chance of more points. Still, there is one more race to go and we wilℱl push to the end to tཧry and finish the season on a high in Brazil."

"Today got off t🍬o the worst of start🌃s when Jarno was put out of the race by another car," added Toyota team principal Tadashi Yamashima. "His motivation was very high and he could certainly have made the top six, but instead he suffered damage to the whole of the right side of his car, including the bodywork and aerodynamic parts so it was undriveable."

Bourdais, for his p𓃲art, protested his innocence over the coming-together, suggesting Trulli had merely turned in without seeing him. The collision also scuppered his hopes of a points finish, leaving the record-breaking multiple Champ Car king down at the back of the order from where he would recover to an unlucky 13th at the chequered flag.

"I'm not sure what happened with Trulli at the first corner," confessed the 29-year-old, fighting to keep his seat in the top flight next year. "I guess he didn't see me. I was halfway alongsid🃏e him and he turned in.

"I was right under Sebastian's rear wing and of course we are all very close in the first corner. We touched, he spun and I went really wide, dropped to the ba💖ck and that was my race spoilt.

"It was a shame because after that, every time I was in clean ai💦r I had good pace and passed around half a dozen cars. Finishing 13🅷th having been last is not a bad result, but it's disappointing, given we started eighth with a car good enough to score points today."

"Bourdais' race was lost at the first corner after a collision with Trulli," concurred STR tea𓃲m principal Franz Tost, "but after that some competitive lap times showed the car perform♐ance was good."