Raikkonen brands Perez an idiot for overtaking move

Formula One title contender Kimi Raikkonen accused McLaren's Sergio Perez of driving like an idiot after a Monaco Grand Prix collision that almost ended the Finn's 23-race run of scoring finishes.

The Lotus driver and the Mexican made contact at the entrance to the chicane in Sunday's race while Raikkonen was defending fifth place.

Perez's attempt to pass ended in contact with Raikkonen suffering a rear tyre puncture that dropped him right down the field.

"Actually that (idiot) is a nice word compared with what he really said," said Lotus team principal Eric Boullier when asked about Raikkonen's radio outburst.

The 2007 world champion, who had started the day four points behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and ended it 21 adrift but still second overall, pitted for supersoft tyres and passed six cars in the final five laps to finish 10th.

That was his 23rd successive race in the points, one short of Michael Schumacher's all-time record.

"He hit me from behind and that's about all there is to it," said Raikkonen. "If he thinks it's my fault that he came into the corner too fast then he obviously has no idea what he's talking about.

"It's not the first time he's hit someone in the race. He seems to expect people to be always looking at what he might do, then move over or go straight on if he comes into the corner too quick and isn't going to make it without running into someone."

"Because of one stupid move from Sergio we've lost a lot of points to Sebastian in the championship and you can't afford to lose ground like that."

Perez retired after the incident, having also come close to collisions with his own team mate Jenson Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Boullier suggested McLaren might want to take him in hand.

"He nearly crashed with his team mate in Bahrain, here obviously there was a little bit of action also. It looks like he is trying too often to be too aggressive and attempt something which most of the time is impossible to do."

Perez recognised his move had been risky but pointed out he had got past Button and Alonso, who had to cut the corner to avoid contact, at the same place.

"Kimi didn't give me any room, there was nothing I could do to avoid it. If someone could avoid the accident it was Kimi," he declared.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters