Lewis Hamilton vs Sebastian Vettel: Ferrari Driver Bumps Into His Rival
British Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes AMG Petronas described German racer Sebastian Vettel a "disgrace" after he rammed into the his car during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
"For him to pretty much get away with driving into another driver is a disgrace," Hamilton said. "I think he disgraced himself today. If he wants to prove that he is a man we should do it out of the car, face-to-face."
It was in lap 19 wherein Vettel hit the rear end of Hamilton's car. Believing that the latter break-tested him, the Scuderia Ferrari driver deliberately bumped into the side of his rival's car shortly after. Although he accused Hamilton for break-testing him, FIA data proved this to be untrue.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"The stewards looked at my data and the reason I didn't get a penalty is because I clearly did not brake-test him," Hamilton asserted. "It could not be clearer."
In this race, Vettel finished fourth, while Hamilton was merely 0.2 seconds behind him. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo claimed the top spot, while Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas finished second. The 18-year-old Lance Stroll claimed third.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop/go penalty for dangerous driving. And for driving into another car, he was given three penalty points, making it a total of nine for the past 12 months. Three more and the F1 rules will prevent him from joining a race.
More recently, reports suggest that the German racer said that he will speak with his rival to clear up the controversial issue this week. Hamilton has previously shared that he has no interest in talking to Vettel.
It seems like the Mercedes driver is not the only one frowning upon Vettel's recent actions. Three-time world champion Niki Lauda believes that the German's act has tainted his reputation.
The 2017 European Grand Prix held at Baku, Azerbaijan took place last Friday, June 23, to Sunday, June 25.
