Max Verstappen insists he was not asking for Red Bull to implement team orders at Toro Rosso when he was battling Daniil Kvyat during the Singapore Grand Prix.
A poor start from Verstappen saw him drop behind the Toro Rosso's in the opening laps. Carlos Sainz quickly had to pit but that left Verstappen behind Kvyat, the man he switched positions with ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
What followed was a spirited defence from Kvyat in the following laps, pushing Verstappen wide at Turn 9. That was followed by Verstappen complaining on his radio, saying: "Come on, man!"
Though there was some suggestion Red Bull would ask junior team Toro Rosso to move Kvyat out of the way, Verstappen said he never expected that to be the case.
When asked if that's what he had been asking for on the radio, Verstappen said: "No, no. I don't think that's the order, I think I should get by by myself.
"It was getting quite intense at one point, going a bit off the track. We were just losing a lot of time and of course after such a bad start you are a bit disappointed."
Verstappen was lucky to even be in the race at that point, having seen Force India's Nico Hulkenberg get pitched into the pit wall - going right by the front of his Red Bull in the process. The Dutch teenager admits he was lucky to come out unscathed.
"I have no clue [how he avoided contact]. I was very lucky to not get hit but it was only the start, he would have been behind us."