Road rage will be severely dealt, Todt warns Vettel

SPIELBERG(AUSTRIA):Ferrari’s Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel would face “very severe” consequences if he committed any more ‘road rage’ offences on track, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt said on Saturday.

The German was handed a 10 seconds stop-and-go penalty during the race in Azerbaijan last month for deliberately banging wheels with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton while they were behind the safety car.

Vettel was summoned to an FIA hearing in Paris last Monday, which then decided to take no further action after he apologised and accepted full responsibility.

It was the second time in a matter of months that Vettel faced possible sanction for his on-track behaviour, with the Ferrari driver warned in Mexico for abusing race director Charlie Whiting over the team radio.

“Mexico was a completely different offence, and we have seen Sebastian is not always able to control himself as much as he should,” Todt, a former Ferrari team boss, told Sky Sports television.

“I used to run drivers and they are in a very tense situation -and I think you must try to interpret the situation well. This does not give them the right to do anything but you must try and understand it.

“This was a completely different matter but, clearly, Sebastian has had some very strong warnings. Clearly, it won’t happen again and, if it does, the consequences would be very severe,” added the Frenchman.

IT WAS THE SECOND TIME IN A MATTER OF MONTHS THAT VETTEL FACED POSSIBLE SANCTION FOR HIS ONTRACK BEHAVIOUR, WITH THE FERRARI DRIVER WARNED IN MEXICO FOR ABUSING RACE DIRECTOR CHARLIE WHITING OVER THE TEAM RADIO