Vettel: Hamilton should have got penalty

Vettel says Hamilton brake-checked him

Sebastian Vettel heaped criticism on title rival Lewis Hamilton and stewards at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, believing the Briton should have also received a penalty.

Hamilton and Vettel were running 1-2 and preparing for a restart, following the second Safety Car period, when Vettel hit the back of his rival exiting Turn 15.

Vettel, furious at Hamilton's driving, drew alongside the Mercedes and steered into it, the two cars making contact, before racing resumed at the restart.

Vettel was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty for "potentially dangerous" driving, with stewards deeming that he had "steered into" Hamilton's car.

Vettel eventually worked his way back to fourth, ahead of the delayed Hamilton, who pitted to replace a loose headrest, but was furious with his rival post-race.

"I think it was quite obvious," said Vettel, when asked if he felt Hamilton had brake tested him.

"I don't run into the back of him on purpose… I damaged my wing, he had a little damage as well, nothing that would have impacted on the race.

"It's just not the way to do it, he's done it a couple of times, after his [first] restart was really good, he surprised me and jumped me, so I don't think it was necessary.

"The problem is me behind getting ready and all the other cars, there's a chain reaction, and he did something similar a couple of years ago in China at the restart.

"It's not the way to do it."

Vettel indicated that he believed his penalty was for hitting the back of the Mercedes, rather than the secondary incident.

"I guess it was the running into the back of him, but the same for him, with the brake checking," he said.

"We're all grown-ups, we're men, with emotions running high in the car, but we want to race wheel-to-wheel, but not when it's the restart.

"As you saw afterwards, he did very well on the restart, I had nothing to answer, he outsmarted me then, but before it was just not necessary."

Vettel expanded further on the situation, commenting: "[The title fight is] still respectful, I don't have a problem with him, it's just one action today was wrong.

"I think if I got penalized, he should get penalized.

"Probably like every Sunday in the Premier League you get referees blowing the whistle, and some players agreeing and some disagreeing.

"That's sport, at the end of the day, but 10 seconds is an awful long time when you stand there with nothing to do."

Vettel was also given three penalty points, bringing his total for the 12-month period up to nine.