"Can't disappear into thin air" - Lotterer and Rast at odds over Formula E crash in Monaco

For Andretti's Formula E driver Andre Lotterer, the Monaco E-Prix hadn't even properly begun before it was over again. In the starting phase of the race, he clashed with compatriot Rene Rast (McLaren), touched the wall and retired with a damaged suspension. Both drivers' opinions on the crash differ.

Not even two laps into the race, Andre Lotterer's day was already over. After a good qualifying, in which the German narrowly missed out on the duels and started the E-Prix from 10th place, he collided with Rene Rast in the last corner. The McLaren driver had tried to overtake Lotterer on the outside in the Anthony Noghes right-hander.

"It's always very close, we're just trying to find our place," the 41-year-old told 'e-Formula.news'. "Rene wanted to pass on the outside, but there's no room on the exit of the corner. He was already half past but I couldn't disappear either and vanish into thin air. And then we crashed."

Bumps and shunts ?

Avoiding contact on the windy streets of Monaco isn't an easy thing to do! #MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/ZXNqpKQIsI

— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) May 9, 2023

Rast disagrees with Lotterer: "Can't blame me much for it"

The FIA deemed the incident a racing accident. Lotterer criticized the decision as "not correct," but held back on his criticism of the stewards aside from that. Instead, he adds, "It's frustrating that something like this is always going on. Hopefully the tide will turn at some point."

Rene Rast defended himself after the race, saying to German TV station ProSieben, "You don't have many options in this kind of race. If you stay behind the guy in front of you, at some point you're the one getting passed on the outside. When the pack bunched up I decided to pass him in the last corner. Then I just felt a bump on the right rear and saw him spin. I don't think I can blame myself much there."

Rast finished the race well outside the points in 17th after losing his front wing in another accident a few laps after the Lotterer incident and having to pit. In the drivers' championship, both are 10th (Rast) and 13th (Lotterer) respectively. At least Rast's next opportunity for championship points will be at the Jakarta E-Prix on July 3-4 - Lotterer is expected to miss the Indonesian round due to a clash with another championship.