Jun.27 (GMM) Whilst being checked by doctors in Valencia's medical centre on Sunday, Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen shook hands.

Webber's Red Bull had backflipped spectacularly at full speed after hitting the back of Kovalainen's slower Lotus, before ploughing headfirst into a tyre barrier.

Pundits immediately said Finn Kovalainen should have let Webber pass, due to the big speed difference between their cars.

"In the end the thing that surprised me was how early he braked, that's the thing which caught me out," Webber told the BBC.

He was slightly critical of Kovalainen's "aggressive" driving, but said the real reason for the crash was the difference between the cars.

"It turns out it's about 80 metres before I braked for the previous lap so I mean it's a different category," said Webber.

Also to the BBC, Kovalainen said he thought Webber was "surprised how early I had to brake", but in a press release said he must have "missed his braking point and he ran into me".

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version