Gutierrez: They have to put themselves in my position

Esteban Gutierrez has asked drivers that have criticised him for not obeying blue flags to put themselves in his position after being slammed by Daniel Ricciardo during the German Grand Prix.

Last week in Hungary, the Mexican was on the receiving end of Lewis Hamilton’s wrath from the cockpit on the Hungaroring, something he found quite rude from the World Champion.

During the race at the Hockenheimring over the weekend, Ricciardo sarcastically told Red Bull over the radio while he was trying to lap the Haas driver: “Oh Esteban, he is one of my favourites. I love this guy.”

When the 24-year-old found out what Ricciardo said, he expressed his surprise by the comment.

“OK, I will speak to him,” he told Autosport.

“I’m surprised because I saw other people in front. I saw he was behind, of course, but he was pretty far away at that time and then at that point I lifted and lost about two seconds.

“I did my best, it was not my intention to block or anything. But if he is not comfortable about it I am going to speak to him because it’s not my intention to do anything bad to anyone.

“If he’s two seconds behind and I lift and I lose four seconds it makes the difference to my points. So I have to protect as well my own interests. Obviously not affecting the other people and that’s where the difference is made sometimes.

“They have to put themselves also in my position, I’m doing my best and it isn’t like I didn’t let him by. I was just waiting for him to be a bit closer and then I lifted completely and I let him by in Turn 2.”