FIA would have to take action if Vettel drove dangerously again

The governing body of Formula 1, the FIA, would have to take action against Sebastian Vettel if the four time champion drove dangerously again in the future in the eyes of former F1 driver, Marc Surer.

"Because he took so long [to apologise], I think it was calculated," said Surer, who is now a pundit for Sky Deutschland. "He really thought Hamilton had brake tested him, but Sebastian is an intelligent guy and knew he would get away with an apology."

This is referring to Vettel's hearing on Monday, where the Ferrari driver was summoned to Paris after side-swiping Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when behind the safety car.  In the hearing, Vettel apologised for his actions and faced no further action taken against him, although he is no longer able to endorse any road safety campaigns for the remainder of the year. 

When asked if he was surprised that Vettel had escaped further punishment, Surer continued: "No, even though he is a repeat offender. But it will be the last time he gets away with it. In his next offense, the FIA would have to follow through, as even a go-kart driver is punished if he rams another."

"The FIA did not want to make the story even bigger, with a procedure dragging on until the summer. I think this mild judgement is also to not influence the world championship," said Surer following accusations that Jean Todt is giving Vettel preferential treatment. "If they ban Vettel for a race, Hamilton would naturally win it [the championship] and that could really influence things. In this respect, the FIA was keeping an eye on the championship fight."

Chris Soulsby