Juncadella just a passenger in dramatic Macau GP clash

The Spaniard and his Italian rival were battling for second place on the exit of Lisboa on the first lap when they touched wheels.

Juncadella was spun across and into the barriers before being collected by a number of rivals in an accident that brought out the safety car.

“I left him room into Lisboa and I exited the corner really close to the wall,” Juncadella told Motorsport.com. “And then it all happened really quick.

“It felt like a huge spin, which was obviously not caused by too much power because I was exiting in second gear and was very low on revs.

“I knew Antonio was not next to me, because I could see him on the exit after leaving him room, and I thought I would be okay for the next corner. But then I was just turned around.”

Not deliberate

Although Giovinazzi was able to continue and eventually went on to win, he was handed a 20-second penalty, in lieu of a drive-through punishment, for his part in the Juncadella crash.

That dropped him to 10th.

When asked whether he thought Giovinazzi's punishment was fair, Juncadella said: “I don't think he did it on purpose, as I rate him as an intelligent driver. But when you destroy another driver's race that is how it is.”