Sebastian Vettel said he felt bad denying George Russell 10th position at the Tuscan Grand Prix, admitting the Williams driver had been driving better for most of the race.
Russell had been running in the points and was ninth when the race was suspended by a red flag for a second time late on. A sluggish start saw him drop to 11th and he crossed the finish line two seconds behind Vettel.
After the race, Russell tweeted: "Gave it everything I had out there and without the final red we had P9 sealed. Gutted for the team as they deserved that today."
Vettel agreed with that assessment, saying he had been impressed with Russell's race.
"I felt a bit sorry to be honest for him because I felt he drove really well, especially before the last restart he was quicker than us, more consistent," Vettel told Ziggo. "He managed his race well, I could see what he was doing.
"It will come for him but... poor soul! I think he really deserved the point today. I feel a bit sorry for him because he fought his way up to the points and didn't get the result he deserved."
Russell responded to a video of the Vettel interview with another tweet, saying: "Appreciate it Seb"