Sebastian Vettel has been hit with a three place grid penalty which he will serve at the forthcoming Japanese Grand Prix, after FIA stewards pointed a finger of blame at the Ferrari for his role in the Turn 1 incident at the start of the Malaysian Gran Prix at Sepang.
We reported the incident, involving Vettel, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen here shortly after it happened, since then results of the post race investigation were released.
The FIA stewards reported: “Having thoroughly reviewed the video and having spoken to the driver concerned, the Stewards determined that although the cars involved in the incident were all moving at relatively similar speeds, the driver of Car 5 [Vettel] made a small error entering to the inside of Turn 1 that led to the contact with Car 6 [Rosberg],” read a statement.
“As a consequence, Car 6 was caused to spin from second place and lose multiple positions, which the stewards determined was predominantly the fault of the driver of Car 5.”
Verstappen went on the radio and called Vettel ‘crazy’ to which the quadruple replied to later when speaking to journalists, “If anything I was braking at the same point as [Verstappen]. I was side by side, he squeezed me. I think it was racing. Nico was ahead and on a different line, and didn’t have to worry about us.”
“Two things are wrong: first Nico, with no blame, gets turned around; and second, I am standing here. Racing him [Verstappen] he’s moving around, I think everyone knows by now.”
“If you get squeezed to the inside the angle doesn’t get any better for T1. It was quite bad the angle, I was trying to do everything to turn and get the corner and I do get the corner but Nico tries to cut back, I guess to fight Lewis, and at that point we make contact.”
After the race in which he finished second, Verstappen was adamant, “I haven’t changed my opinion. He just dived up the inside, too late, T-boned Nico and I had to avoid the crash.”
“And that compromised my race. I saw him in my mirrors, I braked a bit late. It’s such a tight radius, so to try and brake that late and turn, of course you will lock up….”
Rosberg sided with Verstappen and also indicated that Vettel had been to blame, saying: “I got T-boned by a four-time World Champion out of control…”
The four times world champion is no stranger this year to first lap incidents:
- In China he collided with Kimi Raikkonen in Turn 1 at Shanghai;
- Daniil Kvyat rear ended him twice on lap one of the Russian Grand Prix;
- On lap one of the Belgian Grand Prix he was involved in a collision with Verstappen and Raikkonen in Turn one at Spa.
Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247
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