LEWIS Hamilton has branded his title rival Sebastian Vettel a ‘disgrace’ after the German appeared to deliberately make contact with him.
Vettel said the Briton had deliberately “brake-tested” him in the moments building up to the incident during one of three restarts in the race, which Hamilton, pictured, denied.
“I didn’t [brake-test him]. I controlled the pace. All the restarts I slowed down in the same spot. He was obviously sleeping and driving alongside. Deliberately driving into a driver and coming away scot-free is a disgrace. He disgraced himself.
“If he wants to prove he’s a man, we should do it out of the car face-to-face. Driving dangerously in any way can put another driver at risk.
“Luckily we were going slow. If we were going fast it could have been a lot worse. Imagine all the kids watching Formula 1 today and see that kind of behaviour from a four-time world champion. It says it all.”
Vettel, who had claimed no wrongdoing over the team radio for the Hamilton incident, sat in his Ferrari blocks for 10 seconds but emerged ahead of an incandescent Hamilton.
“He brake-checked me so what do you expect? I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose but I’m struggling,” said Vettel after the race. “I don’t think it was necessary. I had a little damage, he risked damage. A couple of years ago in China it was the same thing.”
Just after the incident, Hamilton said over the team radio: “A 10-second penalty is not enough for driver behaviour like that.”
Both Vettel and Hamilton began their charge back through the pack. Hamilton was unable to get close enough to pass the Ferrari driver, although he finished just 0.2 seconds behind his title rival following a breathless race. The ramifications, however, are likely to go long into the night.
Hamilton added: “You saw it happen, I don’t really care about it. I don’t know what to say, there’s nothing I can say.
“It’s done and dusted, we move on. It’s just not driver conduct. [It was] dangerous driving [and] you only get a 10-second penalty for that kind of thing, I think it’s... I don’t need to say anymore.
“I’m just looking forward to getting home. It’s been a good weekend and we’ve still got some points, which is the key. Onwards and upwards.”
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