SURVIVING CHAOS
S
ebastian Vettel was penalised
for dangerous driving after
deliberately crashing into title
rival Lewis Hamilton in a wild and
chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix won
by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate
Valtteri Bottas snatched second
place from 18-year-old Williams
driver Lance Stroll in the final
straight, as Vettel finished fourth
ahead of Hamilton to extend his
championship lead to 14 points.
Despite Ricciardo’s win, the race
will be remembered for the angry
confrontation between former world
champions Vettel and Hamilton.
Ferrari star Vettel was handed a
10-seconds stop-go penalty during
the race for “dangerous driving” after
he deliberately drove into Hamilton’s
Mercedes while both were following
the safety car.
Vettel claimed Hamilton had
braked in front of him and he
responded by driving into the back
of his rival before then bumping the
Briton from the side.
“I think it’s just not driver
conduct. It’s dangerous driving and
to get a 10-second penalty for that...
I don’t need to say anything else,”
Hamilton said afterwards.
“Nothing happened, did it? He
brake checked me as well, so what
do you expect?,” Vettel told reporters
in the media pen.