FIA accepts Vettel’s apology for swearing at Whiting

2016 Mexican Grand Prix

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The FIA says it has accepted an apology from Sebastian Vettel for his profane outburst at race director Charlie Whiting during the Mexican Grand Prix.

Vettel swore repeatedly at Whiting after finishing the race in fourth place behind Max Verstappen. His anger was provoked by the Red Bull driver cutting across turn one during the race to keep him behind.

2016 Mexican Grand Prix team radio transcript
Verstappen was penalised for the move after the race and Vettel was elevated to third place. However that proved temporary as Vettel was subsequently punished for another incident involving Verstappen’s team mate Daniel Ricciardo.

A statement issued by the FIA today revealed Vettel has apologised for his actions and the matter will not be taken further. However it also warned that “in the event of any future incident similar to the one that occurred in Mexico, disciplinary action will be taken by bringing such incident before the FIA International Tribunal”.

FIA statement on Vettel

At the recent Mexican Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel made comments over team radio using repeated foul language directed at both the FIA Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting and a fellow competitor which were retransmitted during the live broadcast of the event.

Immediately following this incident, Sebastian Vettel spontaneously sought out Charlie Whiting to express his regrets for his behaviour in person. He then, again on his own initiative, sent letters to each of the FIA President Jean Todt and Charlie Whiting, in which he apologised profusely for his actions. He also indicated that he would likewise be contacting Max Verstappen and vowed that such an incident would never occur again.

In the light of this sincere apology and strong commitment, the FIA President has decided, on an exceptional basis, not to take disciplinary action against Mr Vettel by bringing this matter before the FIA International Tribunal.

The FIA will always condemn the use of offensive language in motor sport — especially when directed at officials and/or fellow participants — and expects all participants in its championships to be respectful and mindful of the example they set for the public and the younger generation in particular.

The FIA takes this opportunity to advise that, in the event of any future incident similar to the one that occurred in Mexico, disciplinary action will be taken by bringing such incident before the FIA International Tribunal to be judged.

2016 Mexican Grand Prix

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    Author information

    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    85 comments on “FIA accepts Vettel’s apology for swearing at Whiting”

    1. If only apologies suffice…

    2. “The FIA will always condemn the use of offensive language in motor sport — especially when directed at officials and/or fellow participants — and expects all participants in its championships to be respectful and mindful of the example they set for the public and the younger generation in particular.”

      This sentiment should also be put to FOM who choose to broadcast all this.

      1. Yeah maybe they should punish FOM too?

      2. @eurobrun I don’t agree – that sounds like an argument for censorship to me.

        It’s been known for years the drivers use the radio as a means of addressing Whiting directly. The drivers are aware it is not private and that all the other teams can hear what they are saying. They can moderate their language if they choose.

        FOM get plenty of things wrong, but allowing us to hear the drivers speaking in this most frank and unguarded way is definitely not one of them.

        1. @keithcollantine I agree, but in the first place he is talking to his engineer, not Whiting and certainly not the fans. It’s the team radio and he should be allowed to say whatever he wants. It’s not like the many many times drivers calling each other idiots or retards or whatever smirky things Ricciardo has been saying has led to any investigation.

        2. Adding to that, an entirely different scenario had he said this during any interview or the podium ceremony.

          1. Sorry @xtwl,

            Cannot agree with your analysis.

            Vettel is sometimes as smart as anyone in F1. He knows perfectly well that the driver
            channel is an open source and he has often done what other sensible drivers do and attempted
            to keep the authorities in F1 ( the FIA ) informed of things like track conditions, crash debris
            not fully cleared, tyre deg and a thousand other things. All acceptable, commendable and
            appropriate.

            What is not appropriate is to give vent to vexed and frustrated emotions on the scale he has
            done of late. He is turning into a bully and bullies should be quietly but firmly advised to
            behave like a civilised adult and not like the spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram.
            In this season alone we have had superb drivers suffer whole series of bad luck and great damage
            done to their season by events entirely beyond their control. People who come to mind in this category are Alonzo, Button, Hulkenburg, Hamilton, Grosjean, Magnusson….and so on.
            Most of them suffer greatly in silence. Deeply upset they make very little open comment on their problems. Others sound off briefly and then simply belt up. As is in their best interest. As is in the best interest of theirteams. As is in the best interests of F1 as a whole.

            And then there is Herr Vettel. The great FERRARI driving star. A team awarded huge financial reward simply for being FERRARI. ( and in my opinion one of the most damaging aspects of F1 as a whole ) This driver Ferrari took on as a quadruple world champion. Unmatched in the scale of what he had achieved in the shortest possible time. A superstar. A superman to drive their superb unmatched racing cars. And so into the magic new world of super-advanced hybrid engine technology which Ferrari, of course, were bound to dominate. Weren’t they ? Eventually ?

            Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…….. How are the mighty fallen ?

            If ever a team and a driver were riding for the biggest fall in modern racing history then it
            was Vettel and Ferrari. Oh….to be sure ….they will come back……one day….

            Meanwhile we are forced to suffer the singular misery of a highly frustrated juvenile and his manic
            supporters posturing and foul expositions. Not Acceptable.

            Watch and listen to the other very great drivers on the grid. But definitely not to Mr Vettel.

            1. I agree with many things that @loen wrote, especially this part:

              He is turning into a bully and bullies should be quietly but firmly advised to
              behave like a civilised adult

              For sure he is, he has been saying rude stuff to pretty much everybody that he gets on his way and he shouldn’t be doing it, that’s clear. Until here I was loving the reading, but then it became clear that @loen is somebody that doesn’t only dislike Vettel’s attitude but also Vettel and Ferrari by themselves. Let’s see:

              drivers suffer whole series of bad luck and great damage done to their season by events entirely beyond their control. (…) Most of them suffer greatly in silence.

              It’s funny that the first example that you gave was Alonso (or would it be… ‘Alonzo’?). He has been criticizing the engine, the pit crew, the strategy, other drivers… just hear his team radios from these last 2 seasons. Off course that when he’s off the car he’s a different person, but so is Vettel, whom you’re judging exactly for what he says inside the car, in the heat of the moment.

              And what about Hamilton? In the heat of the moment he also questioned why was he always the one in trouble in the team. Or even Grosjean, who said that Ericsson was idiotic after their crash in China and then realised that it was a simple racing incident. You’re just trying to deride Vettel using arguments that only seem to work in your mind.

              If ever a team and a driver were riding for the biggest fall in modern racing history then it
              was Vettel and Ferrari.

              I don’t even know what to think about this. Vettel is on his second season with Ferrari and you already say that they are a failure. The biggest fall in modern racing history, to be precise. I would give many other examples of bigger failures, but something tells me that it would be a wasted effort. The worst blind is the one who doesn’t want to see, isn’t it true?

            2. God. The fans have become most definitely more annoying than any “whiny” driver you can think of. It seems some people have nothing better to do but whine and call others whiny.

            3. “How the mighty have fallen” Get over yourself for heavens sake.

          2. Vettel has long been known as a ‘squeaky wheel’ he is high maintenance that’s for sure. He has often driven in a very aggressive way and blamed others for the altercation. Schumacher was of a similar ilk. I think too many F1 drivers are playing the primadonna and need to be pulled, pushed or dragged into line.

          3. @loen I read your comment and laughed.

            He knows perfectly well that the driver channel is an open source

            Yes, but in the first place it’s a way of communicating to the team, and not the fans or the FIA.

            He is turning into a bully and bullies should be quietly but firmly advised to behave like a civilised adult and not like the spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram.

            Nonsense, he was fighting for third. Or did you not think his shouting had an influence on a penalty for Verstappen, in the very same way Ricciardo his calculated tirade had the same effect on the penalty for Vettel. Many drivers are guilty of calling each other names and not once has it been addressed.

            People who come to mind in this category are Alonzo, Button, Hulkenburg, Hamilton, Grosjean, Magnusson….and so on.

            Incorrect, there are more sites than F1Fanatic where you can find all of these drivers complaining about there unreliability.

            And then there is Herr Vettel. The great FERRARI driving star.

            I guess that part is just your personal frustration and a little bias towards Vettel. Nobody expected them to dominate this ero of motorsport.

            Watch and listen to the other very great drivers on the grid. But definitely not to Mr Vettel.

            If we were to follow your advise we could only listen to drivers who say nothing.

            1. @xtwl I think you’re being a bit disingenuous here to be honest. Vettel specifically addressed Whiting by name during his radio message. He had a full awareness of the audience and who would be listening, and was, in the heat of the moment, trying to use that as a means of influencing the stewards.

              Vettel I think is going through the same process that Alonso went through before him – realising that the expectation does not match the reality of driving for Ferrari. He’s feeling the pressure and frankly not dealing with it very well. Having a massive sweary hissy fit because he’s not getting his own way, insulting other drivers and swearing at Whiting… Those aren’t exactly calm, calculated act made with a clear mind. By all means, F1 is a stressful environment, and perhaps none so much as being the star driver in the underperforming Ferrari team, where the team expects the driver to make up for the designers’ shortcomings. But still, it’s petulent and unprofessional and crosses a line. Nor is it by any means an isolated incident, and nor is it something that Vettel is guilty of exclusively.

              I think the drivers need to grow up a bit and realise that swearing is neither big nor clever.

            2. @mazdachris I ask you what the difference is between Ricciardo calling Massa a mofo (very aware of what he is expressing) compared to Vettel calling Whiting to [beep] off (in the heat of the moment, under the influence of stress). I don’t understand how one has to have more respect for another one. (more for a steward than for an other driver, or more for the ref than another football player for example)

              Drivers calling each other names has been done many many times. There is no reason to start penalizing it now because all of a sudden he who decides on who gets a penalty it being targeted. That doesn’t mean it is correct though.

              That also does not mean there should be more respect and that his words were disrespectful, the fact Vettel took the time to write an apology letter shows there is respect to begin with.

    3. I understand they aren’t happy for the language targeting officials and other drivers, etc. But if they’re so concerned about the example it’s setting, why did FOM broadcast the outburst?

      I really enjoyed hearing the emotions of the drivers racing each other. And while Vettel’s choice of words wasn’t great, his point really wasn’t wrong. Perhaps the FIA will take that into account?

      1. @strontium

        while Vettel’s choice of words wasn’t great, his point really wasn’t wrong

        Telling the race director to “[censored by FOM] off” is not making a valid point, it is an unambiguous display of disrespect.

        1. I agree there, however his frustration, I should say, was not unreasonable in my opinion. The decision making with regards to penalties and race direction has become embarrassingly bad

        2. And the current race director’s now all-too-frequent decisions to simply ignore the rules and make up his own as he goes along are also an unambiguous display of disrespect towards the drivers, teams and fans.

          1. Just curious how many examples you can give to support your claim about these all-too-frequent decisions. I think there is a little bit of inconsistancy, but a lot of people are overreacting and form their opinion without considering all the facts.

            1. What about not penalising both Merc drivers at the start of the Mexican GP for starters? And then penalising Ves for exactly the same thing Ham did….

              A little bit of inconsistency? I would say it is consistent all the time, just not impartial.

            2. @mog Well I’d say they should have penalized Verstappen for causing Rosberg to go off the track actually. And also penalize him for going off the track himself and keeping the position as well. But I agree on Hamilton.

        3. “Telling the race director to “[censored by FOM] off” is not making a valid point, it is an unambiguous display of disrespect.” – Keith Collantine

          And in this case, it was a richly deserved display of disrespect. The situation needed immediate resolution, unlike other situations where Whiting could take more time reaching a decision.

          I’m not a big fan of Vettel and his too-quick verbal trigger, but in this case he was right. Whiting and his crew should have, at the very least, quickly informed Vettel’s team that they understood that there was an infraction and it would be resolved quickly. There are times when things are evolving more quickly than usual, and Whiting and his team have to respond accordingly.

          In short, Whiting is not in a car, risking his life while someone else makes decisions. So, at the very least, he should be the one apologizing to Vettel.

          1. ChuckL8: Well said!

        4. That line alone yes, but in context of what has been going on recently regarding Verstappen’s behavior, it mirrors exactly what a lot of F1 fans are shouting towards Whiting and the officials through their TVs at home. I’m not a fan of Vettel’s radio escapades, and never have been, but for once, honestly, I can relate.

        5. The ‘your comment’ refers to @keithcollantine ‘s comment just above (I used reply to but I realise now that the website does not make it clear to whom I reply…)

    4. That makes it sound like it will be a penalty next time around. Who do you think will get caught? And will they apply the new punishment or just let it go like they didn’t with Vettel regarding the Verstappen rule? Do we call this the Vettel rule or not?

      1. I’d be amazed if they don’t rush some new rule through, with grid penalties. If they don’t, it’s a sign F1’s turned a corner and is being run properly at last.

        It’ll be called the [censored by FOM] Rule.

        1. They don’t need a new rule. It will just fall under an existing rule like “unsportsmanlike conduct” or something similar.

    5. Many are frustrated with the FIA for inconsistencies and lack of responsiveness.
      Many are frustrated with Max Verstappen
      Many are frustrated with Ferrari and their failure.
      The F1 season is longer then ever.
      Vettel is at the centre of it all.

      Not only is Vettels fury understandable, but after his apology, this time it’s excusable. Lets move on.

      1. Lets move on.

        But, but… you are absolutely right.

        1. I can understand Vettel in the moment, I was swearing at the screen more then Vettel was at Verstappen.

          there are 2 major problems that lead to everything that could have never happened.
          1. track design.
          everyone says, Hamilton didn’t gain an advantage therefore it was ok how he cut across the grass after the safety car was deployed, as that may be true, what everyone fails to see is that HE wasn’t penalized by the track so he should have lost spots, it seems tracks these days don’t reward perfection.

          2. The delay in handing the penalty to Verstappen
          This allowed Ricciardo to catch Vettel much faster as he was backed up into Verstappen, the Vettel/Ricciardo tangle most likely would have never happened if the FIA stepped in right away to tell Verstappen to move or get black flagged or whatever. Technically he missed turn 2, so he didn’t complete the course to be honest. If my point 1. was in effect, I wouldn’t be writing point 2.

          in the heat of the moment, when 2 are racing for position perfection should be rewarded and mistakes should be punishing, not by stewards but by the track.

          Let the track do the penalizing, NOT the stewards.

    6. Ugh, Vettel gets a “get out of jail free” card. I wouldn’t mind seeing him paying a hefty fine for it and letting that be an example for other drivers.

      1. I agree. This was a great opportunity for Charlie Whiting to instill a solid sense of discipline and respect amongst the drivers. Let them know that even a four-time WDC isn’t above the rules and has the same duty as the rest to be an ambassador for the “sport”.

        It’s a shame that Charlie chickened out as it ironically lends support Vettel’s vulgar statement(s)…

        1. Vettel’s diatribe was WAY beyond the pale, and I fully expected him to get a real jaw-dropper of a fine at the least…and possibly even a race ban. I’m pretty sure that it’s actually Jean Todt that we can thank for sweeping the incident under the rug.

        2. He should have started instilling a sense of discipline and respect amongst the drivers before Verstappen got the feeling he could get away with pretty much everything…

          Don’t get why people get so riled up about this, after a race which was more Rallye-Cross and bumper cars than a proper F1 race and with an FIA who seemed to watch something else. Some people probably are just glad the Vettel hate-train from 2013/14 can go on.

        3. Yeah well we all know who is protected species and who isnt…..

        4. Who’s gonna instill some solid sense of discipline and respect towards rules and regulations in Charlie Whiting himself / FIA / stewards / whomever then? It’s a farce how the penalty system works with some unbelievably poor decision making skills.

          You people are truly stuck in some useless verbal disrespect that you perceive while the real disrespectful stuff keeps happening on track and no one cares to do anything serious about it.

      2. Or they could do it for the next guy and he’d be the example instead. But you’d probably prefer it to be Vettel for some reason.. I wonder if you also demanded that they give some punishment to Verstappen or Alonso as soon as they clarified the movements in the braking zone since they were the most frequent and the latest offenders as well.

      3. I agree with that. A million towards the FIA fund or something would be ok @carlitox

    7. I think this is a good decision. Vettel’s behaviour was terrible, almost comically childish… but at the same time he’s been pretty contrite after the event.

      It doesn’t really set a precedent because I really don’t think drivers are going to make a habit of this, unlike let’s say footballers that insult the referee constantly. Vettel’s also got penalised enough this weekend – not that it should be an excuse not to punish again of course, but overall I think common sense has prevailed.

    8. Great entertainment!, the technicalities of the events had the desired effect and raised the ire of the ones on the short end of the deal. Vettel’s apology was required and subsequent action by Whiting was sufficient. Time to move on…

      Personally, i like Vettel venting or any driver really, to me Vettel is a lot more likeable as he comes across, human, with world-class skill in an F1 car.

      With regards to his moving in the breaking zone, i really don’t think it was that bad as they both made the turn (because Vettel gave him room, although it was really, really close!) and to be fair what Riccardo was going for was very adventurous. The penalty i think was harsh. In comparison to some of the blocks done by Verstappen and also some of the clumsy moves done by Rosberg, i think Vettel’s move was a lot fairer.

      1. You’ve said it well! Agreed.

    9. It’s as far as I’m aware an unprecedented event. I’ve never known a driver outright abuse a race official with profanities over the radio before. So as a first instance, and given Vettel’s promptness in apologising regardless of whether any of us think it’s genuinely sincere or not then a warning and no further sanction seems entirely appropriate.

      But I think a future clarification is required that an outburst directed at a race official like that should result in some kind of sanction, apology or not for future events from any driver. I’ve always admired Vettel, as entertaining as it was that was a dark moment for him.

    10. If this was football or tennis, even in the heat of the moment, players would be penalized for such comments, regardless of apologises later on. These guys are professionals, and should act like that, with respect to fellow competitors and specially authorities.

      So I don’t really agree with this, some sort of fine would’ve been correct IMO. Vettel’s a grown man, and has vast experience in the sport. He should know better.

      1. I hate all these football comparisons. If a referee consistently ignored unsportsmanlike behavior from one team or a player, then sends off the one complaining about it, he would need an escort out of the stadium and people would throw beer at him in the best case scenario.

        Talking about professionalism with recent FIA decision-making in mind is also quite bold, to say the least.

        1. @dennis true… maybe a better comparision is tennis, where respect is shown between players and umpires, and any unsportsmanlike behaviour is more harshly penalized.

          1. Even Tennis I don’t think is an apt comparison. There the rules are very regulated, almost every decision is black and white. The FIA have a part to blame in all this by not following their own regulations to the letter to begin with.

            It’s not beyond the realm of possibility to imagine a driver being frustrated with that specifically, especially when it’s so obvious.

            That he lost it says more about the sport than Vettel to me.

        2. Yeah and football players don’t run around with microphones strapped to their bodies to speak to their coaches.

          1. The Premier League did a trial with the referee’s microphone feed being made available to SKY Sports, it didn’t even last half a match as the stream of offensive language was considered inappropriate and unsuitable for broadcast.

    11. Seems a bit weak and unfair that the next guy will get penalised, but not the first. It’s not as if it’s a surprise that telling the race director to F off is a transgression.

      1. Did Verstappen get penalized for moving under braking? Or Alonso? Or Sainz? Or the first ever driver who’s done that in F1? I mean it’s also kind of unfair that Vettel had to wait after the race to see Verstappen get a penalty for cutting the corner in front of him. It’s not like they had to wait until the end as it’s not a surprise that he should got a penalty for it either.

        1. Well there’s no rule change, is the difference with moving under braking now. And we’re not going to say everything can be unfair as long as something is unfair, are we?

    12. Seb gets this one for free?

      What a joke.

      1. He already lost his 3rd place (not only to fourth, but fifth), which was all in all an incredibly questionable decision. It was a separate incident sure, but still I have no doubt was a factor in the decision.

        Considering his immediate and profuse apologies, I think it’s more than fair that he is given some leeway. An extraordinary outcome for an extraordinary circumstance.

    13. As far as I’m concerned, the fact they penalized VET at all for LEGALLY blocking RIC’s silly attempt to pass at that particular place is plenty of punishment.

      I’m not a Ferrari or VET fan but in this case they are right – it was a BS call. RIC complained that VET closed the door on him but in fact he left him enough room. RIC makes daring attempts at times – good for him and us fans. But don’t expect competitors to give a free pass.

      Red Bull will be on top again next year – a bunch of arrogant whiners, the lot of them.

      1. I agree Mick, VET was punished. Charlie already had his revenge, and anyways a fine wouldn’t have cut it with a multimillionaire like Vet. Dropping him to fifth however would have hit him where it hurts, and Ferrari also.

        Makes me wonder if the fine would have been forthcoming if the relegation option had not been available.

      2. Legally blocking? The only reason RIC locked up was the block…..the pass attempt wasnt silly at all…..no pleasing some people.

        1. He left him enough room!!

          1. That’s not the rule for this one.

    14. RossoTorro (@)
      1st November 2016, 22:24

      What a joke, he insulted almost every driver last weekend, he insulted the race director just to try and get what he wants faster, no reason for Verstappen to move over especially after Hamilton and Rosberg on the first lap.

      Shame FIA let this go.

      1. Actually, the moments that Vettel was swearing at the race director, Ricciardo was on the radio swearing at the grid as well. Is he getting a penalty for that anytime soon? Shame shame shame

        1. RossoTorro (@)
          2nd November 2016, 12:59

          No one will get a penalty and it will happen again then they will send a letter of apology case closed.

      2. @rossotorro what’s a joke is how you can accept that missing your breaking point, going off the track, missing turn 2 and keeping your position is fair.

        If verstappen accepted what he did was not fair and gave the position up immediately then frustration would have never boiled over in the first place.

        But as I said before, the root problem to everything that dominoed from one incident to the next should have never happened if the track was designed to penalize verstappen for making an error in the heat of the moment. Errors need to be punished by the track.

    15. Hmmm interesting, a lot of people here are siding with Seb and in someways blaming FOM for broadcasting his foul mouth rant.

      I wonder if these same people would’ve felt and said the same had it been Hamilton or Max who went off like that?

      Had this been rugby, Seb would’ve found himself not only with a hefty fine, but also a massive suspension. By simply accepting his apology, the FIA have left themselves in a very compromising situation, because if someone does this again, they know a simple letter of apology would be enough. The FIA should’ve come down on him heavily and that would’ve been a deterrent to the next person who has ideas of doing the same.

      1. What surprises me is that everyone seems to forget that Vettel (and Ricciardo) has previous records of using tirades of expletives and abuse when he is or is not happy about something. It wasnt that long ago when along with such expletives he also made what could be regarded as derogatory remarks about women too. So realistically he has shown no remorse for previous transgressions by repeating the same thing over again. I therefore think some kind of sanction should have been imposed, probably a fine and warning about future conduct.
        I am also surprised the media havent taken a dim view of this but seem more concerned about other drivers using snapchat or foolishly spraying grid girls (which are clearly not symbols of misogyny anyway) with champagne.

        In regards to going off track, it is difficult to say what advantage can be gained, but i would suggest drivers should try and return onto the track as close to the point of departure (when safe to do so) or face a five second penalty. Or as already is the case yield a position if one is gained as a result of cutting a corner.

        I guess its another point that needs to be discussed and clarified just like the Verstappen rule was.

    16. Vettel was talking to his engineer. Why did Fom publish it, then start yapping. It was them who exposed a curse laced rant between Ferrari personnel to the public. Are ratings really that bad? Aha.

      1. Well, he did say he had a message for Charlie didn’t he?

    17. Ratings Keith! I always thought of you as a slight Vettel apologist, but great to see you calling a spade a spade by denouncing him when he royally messed up. Thumbs up for clear, unbiased opinion! There are a few unbiased Vettel fans out there (and I am one of them plus a Ham fan!) but I wish the rabid of us would retreat back into the yard!

      1. If I had to money on it…I’d say Keith is a secret Hamilton fan.

        1. It’s no secret. Lots of football watchers admire naturally gifted footballers like Messi, but dissimilar to F1, they don’t tend to drag down those that had to put in consistent hard work to get there, like Ronaldo.
          I say, one can admire both differently.

    18. For all those blaming FOM for broadcasting the Ferrari communications, please do remember how upset we were earlier in the season when not as many radio communications were telecast (and no, its not just the ban on driver assistance that resulted in a drop). Do we really want to go back to that?

      FOM did do the courtesy (and regulatory requirement) of bleeping out the offending words, they’ve nothing more to do beyond that. How drivers turn the airwaves blue is a separate matter altogether, and that is what FIA are seemingly addressing with this statement.

    19. All of this over 3rd place. Can’t believe how “proud” Ferrari were over their “fantastic” podium. Meanwhile in the background the two Merc drivers gently chat.

      Time for some more drama up front!!

      1. 3rd place at the moment is like a victory for Red Bull and Ferrari. To them 3rd is a victory since the lawnmowers were introduced. Im surprised nobody in the stands didn’t hear Vettels rants.

        https://youtu.be/0mHkfCmoMVs

        Car manufacturers claim its about the eviroment, pollution garbo. 20 odd cars running a v12 or v10 have nothing on the U.S and China. Its as comical as Richard branson fighting against pollution yet be owns an airliner, aha.

    20. Evil Homer (@)
      2nd November 2016, 4:02

      He was lucky to get away with that but, yes, time to move on (very poor form though!)

      I can only imagine Charlie and Herbie in Race Control:
      “Charlie – I think Seb just told you to **** off, can we penalize him for that!?”
      “hmmm…. I am not sure, no one has ever done that!!’ :)

    21. Good job Sebastian. Calling it like you see it and then apologising if wrong.

    22. So why we have rules than. Unbelievable! You can apologize as you want, but broken an rule has been done. You can’t turn it back. Only the punishment that by the rule is right. Ore else… skip the rules.

    23. I think it’s fair. Vettel was/has obviously been extremely troubled recently. Considering his actions in realising and admitting fault immediately says a lot. He didn’t break laws, just regulations.

      His actions were already a huge wake-up call, and I’m sure if he were to do anything even remotely similar any time soon they would come down twice as hard…

    24. A remarkable decision. Considering the many options they had, to take no further action. A small fine in terms of money for instance would not have hurt any-one (I guess Vettel does have some savings) and at least you would have clearly sent a message that this is not tolerated. But they chose to do nothing. Seems to me the FIA really weakened their position here to please whom exactly…? It unfolds some of their stakeholder thinking and neither the F1 audience, nor youth going through the ranks of other motorsport divisions, nor their own employee racing director is top of heart for them apparently.

      1. Seems to me the FIA really weakened their position here

        How so? Their message is quite succinct. Sure if one can’t read and think only actions matter, but good luck to person who thinks that and tries it next time…

    25. I’ve just heard that Ferrari are deploying new radio technology from the Brazilian GP onwards. A sneak pic of the transmitter side of the radio can be viewed here.

      1. Nice one @phylyp matching with the livery too

    26. The FIA takes this opportunity to advise that, in the event of any future incident similar to the one that occurred in Mexico, disciplinary action will be taken by bringing such incident before the FIA International Tribunal to be judged.

      Profanity is nothing new in F1 and the broadcast between Alan Permane and Raikkonen at Lotus is a suitable example among many. Wonder why FIA is in such a rush to propose disciplinary action and even involving the tribunal. Then again a good number of young talents are expected to come into the sport.

    27. Perhaps the FOM director should be punished for broadcasting Vettel’s message and bringing the sport into disrepute. That would make as much sense as punishing Vettel.

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