But the 21-year-old also became the first driver to be penalised 10 grid places at the next race after being found guilty of causing the collision with Jaguar’s Pedro de la Rosa during the race.

Stewards have been given the option this year of penalising drivers by demoting them down the grid for the following event.

Massa will now drop 10 places from wherever he qualifies at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis in two weeks time.

The rookie insisted he was not to blame for the incident on lap 15 when he collided with de la Rosa, forcing both drivers out of the race.

“He cut the first chicane but instead of moving over to let me by he stayed ahead for a lap,” said Massa, who has lost his race seat at the Swiss-based team for 2003.

“He was so slow going down to Ascari that I put my car in the middle of the track and, as far as I was concerned, I was past him.

“Maybe he hit the throttle again. Whatever, we touched and that damaged either my right rear suspension or the tyre so a lap later I was out.

“The only good thing is that I became the first driver to race in F1 with the HANS safety collar today and it gave me no problems all weekend.”