Sebastian Vettel tells Charlie Whiting to 'f**k off'
RESULTS: Mexican Grand Prix - Race results
Sebastian Vettel told FIA race director Charlie Whiting to "f**k off" over his team radio as tensions hit boiling point towards the end of the Mexican Grand Prix amidst a bad tempered battle for third with Max Verstappen.
Vettel launched into an astonishing tirade against Whiting as he crossed the line in response to Verstappen failing to cede his third place to the Ferrari driver when he cut the T1 chicane whilst attempting to defend.
In a aggressive final few laps, Vettel raged at Verstappen over the team radio before turning his attention Whiting, swearing profusely at both.
Ironically, Vettel's wish was in the process of being granted by Whiting as he was directing his anger at him, with Verstappen handed a five-secs time penalty that dropped him back to fifth and lifted the German onto the podium.
However, though he got his moment on the rostrum, Vettel himself was later handed a 10secs penalty in punishment for his own defence tactic against Daniel Ricciardo, the four-time champion judged to have flouted the new rule that outlaws 'changing direction under braking'
The 10-second penalty dropped him from P3 to P5, behind Ricciardo and Verstappen.
However, Vettel could find himself in more trouble with the FIA over his 'colourful' tirade, as detailed below...
"Move, move. For f*** sake. He [Verstappen]'s a f***k... that's what he is."
"I mean am I the only one or are you not seeing what I am seeing? He is just backing me up into Ricciardo? For f**ks sake."
Ferrari: Charlie said [inaudible]...
"Here is a message for Charlie: F*** off! F*** off! Honestly"
"I mean honestly, I am going to hit someone. I think I have a puncture, rear left [after Turn 4 incident with Daniel Ricciardo]."
Ferrari: Tyres are fine, tyres are fine
"He has to give me the position. End of the story."
Ferrari: Charlie say no.
"Well here's a message for Charlie. F*** off! Honestly, f**k off."
Maurizio Arrivabene: Sebastian, Sebastian calm down. They are under investigation. We know it is not fair, but calm down. Put your head down and we talk afterwards.
Okay, copy. Received.
POLL: Should Sebastian Vettel be punished for his foul mouthed outbursts?
"I was using a lot of sign language and using a lot of your language I think," Vettel said afterwards on the podium, when interviewed by former F1 race winner, Juan Pablo Montoya. "Probably looking back I felt like you when you got angry in the car.
"I mean you have to understand the adrenaline was pumping. I put him under pressure, which is difficult enough. Our tyres both were pretty old and then obviously he left the track and didn't move. You can understand why I was annoyed.
"But what a turnaround. I was really disappointed when I crossed the line and then all of a sudden I was told to come up here and being here in front of the crowd is fantastic."
Speaking later in the post-race press conference, when asked if he will go and apologise to Whiting - he later did exactly that, Vettel replied: "I think it was very clear. Obviously I was very emotional. In fact I have asked already to go and see him. I think when you are in the car emotions are very...
"I was just full of adrenaline, as you can imagine because it is not right, I think, what Max did. So when I was told they were looking into it for three laps I was getting upset."
POINTS: The F1 World Championship standings after the Mexican GP
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