The Australian dived up the inside of Vergne at Turn 6 to try to take 12th place on the 16th lap and hit the right-rear of the Toro Rosso with his front-left wheel.
After the race, the stewards deemed Webber responsible for the accident and hit him with a three-place grid penalty for next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I don’t know what he tried to do, it’s a shame,” Vergne told AUTOSPORT.
“I did not even close the door, I just took my corner normally and then suddenly, in the middle of the corner, I felt a hit.”
Vergne added that there was no instruction from the team to let Webber past.
Webber said after the race that Vergne knew he was there and believed the Frenchman would let him through.
“Absolutely not,” said Vergne when asked if he was under instruction to let Webber past at that point.
“I was doing my race, he was doing his.
“He was much quicker and would have passed me on the next straight anyway.”
Vergne went on to finish 12th, admitting that “the floor was completely destroyed” by the collision.
AUTOSPORT Chinese GP coverage:
Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover Oswald Karch
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