Ve el jokes to deal with loss

Sebastian Vettel on Friday made light of his disappointment at missing out on beating Lewis Hamilton to a fifth world title with an unexpected message on Ferrari team radio.

The four-time champion spoke during second practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix where rivals Mercedes topped the times, Valtteri Bottas beating Hamilton by 0.003 seconds.

Vettel was third fastest in the session, complaining of what was originally thought to be problems with his car’s front suspension. He supplied additional detail when he told the team: “There’s something loose between my legs. Something is flying around my feet. I’d be proud if it was what you think it is, but it’s not.”

He later joked that the Interlagos circuit was bewitched.