Alexander Nasonov on why the judges in Baku should not have been embarrassed to disqualify Sebastian Vettel for his dangerous maneuver during the race.
At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel once again revealed his dark side to the world. For his maneuver in safety car mode, the German received a ten-second stop-and-go penalty. But perhaps the judges should have chosen a more severe punishment for Vettel?
Lewis Hamilton, who repeatedly complained on the radio that the safety car was going too slowly, used the entire width of the track in SC mode to prevent the tires and brakes from cooling to undesirable temperatures.
Shortly before the second restart, after Hamilton had passed turn 15, Vettel stumbled into the back of his car. It seemed to the German that Lewis deliberately tried to slow him down, and Seb, which no one expected, suddenly caught up with his opponent and turned the steering wheel towards his car. Of course, the direction of the race could not leave this incident unattended.
After a detailed analysis, representatives of the FIA determined that Hamilton before the second restart acted in exactly the same way as before the first. That is why his maneuvers were recognized as correct.
The fact is that Hamilton, who – and he alone – had the right to control the pace, after the safety car stopped signaling his presence on the track, simply did not immediately press the gas pedal to the floor, which, apparently, Vettel expected.
But even if Lewis would be to blame, Vettel’s behavior is still unacceptable.
His former Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who is still in favor of the Austrian team, is inclined to believe that it’s all about the driver’s psychology.
“He probably doesn’t always think before he does something,” Riccardo said. – Perhaps this is due to his passionate love for racing and the desire to win. Sometimes he should have kept it to himself.”
This is not the first time that Vettel loses his head.
So, only for the 2016 season, Sebastian received two penalty points from the judges three times. In Britain, he squeezed Felipe Massa off the track with an illegal maneuver. In Malaysia, he was found guilty of a collision with Nico Rosberg. In Mexico, he changed the trajectory on braking, which was impossible to do.
Finally, can we forget Seb’s behavior at the same last year’s Mexican Grand Prix, when he spoke foul language against F-1 racing director Charlie Whiting? Vettel sought out Whiting after the race and apologized for his words, and a little later issued an apology in writing.
After studying the issue, the FIA then decided not to punish Vettel, but recalled that in the event of a repetition of unsportsmanlike behavior in the future, the case will be referred to the FIA International Tribunal. And this threatens with a major disqualification.
Vettel, who received only a stop-and-go in Baku, may well consider that he got off lightly, although this is the most severe punishment that does not imply immediate disqualification.
According to the German media, the judges were even ready to show Cebu a black flag, meaning an order to go to the pits and stop the fight. And they did not do this only because of the unwillingness to interfere in the fight for the championship.
Vettel is an amazing driver, a real F-1 star. But such moments can tarnish his reputation, this time for good.
The most annoying thing about this story is that Sebastian refused to admit that he had blundered. He asked his engineer, “So where was the unsafe piloting?”
It will be very interesting to see what the consequences of this incident will be. Will Vettel admit that he went too far? Or will it straighten up? The fate of the title may depend on the answer to this question.
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
