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Vettel facing penalty for obscene outburst

MEXICO CITY — Formula One’s governing body came under huge pressure on Monday to penalise Sebastian Vettel for his expletive-laden rant at the sport’s race director, Charlie Whiting, at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Vettel’s swearing at the race director on team radio may be punished by the FIA. Photo: Getty Images

Vettel’s swearing at the race director on team radio may be punished by the FIA. Photo: Getty Images

MEXICO CITY — Formula One’s governing body came under huge pressure on Monday to penalise Sebastian Vettel for his expletive-laden rant at the sport’s race director, Charlie Whiting, at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Vettel twice said that Whiting should “f*** off” over the in-car radio after growing increasingly frustrated when he got stuck behind Max Verstappen in the closing stages.

The four-time champion immediately went to apologise to Whiting, F1’s race director since 1997, after the race, although the Englishman was initially unaware of Vettel’s explosive comments.

But that may not stop the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, from punishing Vettel for such an outspoken attack on the referee. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, who managed Vettel for all of his four titles and all but three of his race victories, said his former driver should be penalised.

“In the heat of the moment, there is always going to be emotion from the driver,” Horner said. “I am sure in football, if players had microphones on, then their language would be an awful lot ‘bluer’ than what is going out on the track. But in any sport, you can’t give abuse to the referee, so I would be surprised if that went unreprimanded.”

Vettel finished fourth on the road behind Verstappen, before the latter was penalised, allowing the German to take the podium. But Vettel was then punished for moving under braking while defending from Daniel Ricciardo, relegating him to fifth and promoting the Australian to third.

Both Ricciardo, team-mate to Vettel in 2014, and Horner believe the 29-year-old is showing a new side to his character after a disappointing year at Ferrari.

“I sense he has been a bit more frustrated this year,” Ricciardo said. “He has shown in the past he can be quite emotional, but this year it seems to be a bit more. In the moment, it is easy to press that radio button and say a load of things, but we all know it can get broadcast. He is a bit frustrated with how the season has been. He probably thought they had a chance to fight Mercedes, and it hasn’t worked like that.”

Horner added: “It is not an attribute he had when he drove for us. He is vocalising his frustration, and everybody can hear that.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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