Alonso blasts risky Massa

Massa effectively clinched his second successive win, and fourth of his career, after fending off a charging Alonso at turn one of the Circuit de Catalunya.

Post-race, Alonso did not pull any punches, insisting: "Sometimes these kind of things are dangerous. When you are fighting for the championship, it's very risky to be so aggressive in the first corner. Normally in 99% of these type of incidents, both cars will finish at the first corner, as we have seen in many races."

From second on the grid, the Spaniard - in front of a record home crowd of 140,000 - slipstreamed the Ferrari of pole-man Massa before pulling out to overtake around the outside.

Alonso cut in, resulting in the two cars touching and the McLaren taking a brief journey onto the gravel, allowing team-mate Lewis Hamilton and the second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen to pass.

The reigning double world champion maintains his car was damaged in the incident, compromising his race as he finished a distant third behind Massa and Hamilton.

He added: "I had put myself behind Felipe, and thanks to the slipstream I was a little quicker. I went to the outside, braked later and I was much in front of him at the first corner.

"Unfortunately, he didn't think so, we touched each other, and we were lucky to both finish the race. We were very lucky to finish first and third.

"If you look at my car, the sidepod and rear have been touched. That shows everybody who arrived first into the corner. I was more than half a car in front."

That brought a dismissive shake of the head from Massa, and a wry smile as he countered: "I was inside, so I don't understand his point. As long as I am inside, I will stay there. I won't move. If anybody was aggressive, it was Fernando, not me. If I am wrong, then I am the first to say I have made a mistake. But this time don't tell me I've made a mistake."