Haas driver Oliver Bearman blasted Yuki Tsunoda over "reckless and desperate" driving following their almost-crash at the US Grand Prix.
During lap 35 of the race, Bearman attempted to overtake the Red Bull driver for seventh place with a move up the inside at Turn 15.
However, the 20-year-old was sent into a spin and accused Tsunoda of making a late defensive move, forcing him to take avoiding action.
While Bearman recovered to ninth, he said that the move by the Japanese driver was reckless after Tsunoda did not receive a penalty.
"What he did was quite dangerous, against the spirit of how we should go racing and against the image that we should project to kids," Bearman told media.
"He was swathing all over the place for a few laps, and when I finally did stick my nose in and attempt the move, he moved in reaction, didn't leave a car's width, and that's unfair," he noted.
Bearman acknowledged that moving in the braking zone could be "a grey area of the regulations" but highlighted that the manoeuvre is "not fair".
The Briton further criticised Tsunoda's driving at the Circuit of the Americas, pointing out that his recent moves are an attempt to secure his Red Bull driving seat.
Bearman added, "I feel like he's driving a little bit desperate, and that was shown in his defence."
When asked if he would confront the 25-year-old directly, the rookie driver said, "No, because I don't think he will change."
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda rejected any claims made by his rival, insisting that his defence was fair and that the incident was simply an unfortunate racing incident.
"It's just a bit unfortunate how it ended up, especially because we were having a good fight until then. I'm not his teammate, I'm just fighting for being in the top 10."
Notably, Tsunoda's Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen, emerged victorious at the US Grand Prix, securing his place in the title race.
