Lewis Hamilton clung on to his Formula 1 world title hopes with victory in "a Mexican Grand Prix that was overshadowed by an expletive-ridden row involving Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel," according to Jonathan McEvoy of the London DAILY MAIL. Vettel "was dramatically relegated from the podium -- three hours after the racing finished." He "was furious when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ran wide at the first corner, re-emerged ahead of him and then refused to yield the place." Vettel "had seethed in the last few laps of the race, at one stage venting his anger" at FIA Race Dir Charlie Whiting "for not ordering Verstappen to let him pass." He yelled over the team radio, "He [Verstappen] is a c***. Am I the only one, or are you not seeing what I'm seeing? He's just backing me off into [Daniel] Ricciardo. Move, move for f***'s sake. He cut the chicane. He has to give me the position. End of the story. Ferrari's pit wall's message to Vettel was, "Charlie said that." Vettel replied, "Yeah? Here's a message to Charlie: f*** off. Honestly, f*** off" (DAILY MAIL, 10/31). The AAP reported Ricciardo "was adamant after the race" that Vettel should also have been penalized over the matter in the second-last lap. Ricciardo: "He [Vettel] is smiling now. He doesn’t deserve to be up there [on the podium]. I thought I had every right to be there but he kept closing the door under-braking. I was frustrated with that." The late penalty "is unlikely to go down well with Vettel, who also claimed through the team radio the only reason he was in a battle with Ricciardo was due to Verstappen holding his position" (AAP, 10/30).
'ANY WONDER?': In London, Tom Cary opined it is a "peculiar fact about following professional sport that we demand more action," more color, more personality from our sportsmen and women. And "then when we get it we clobber them for it." Take, for example, Vettel’s "recent outburst over the radio" at Verstappen at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, for which the German has been roundly criticized. Now, Vettel "clearly overstepped the mark." His message to Whiting, in particular, "was completely unacceptable" and no doubt the FIA will "throw the book at him, and rightly so." Vettel should "not be hung, drawn and quartered either." He apologized to Whiting afterward, admitted that he had "gone overboard, and will cop a punishment of some description." But he was right when he "described the situation as a stressful one," with his "emotions and adrenaline pumping nigh." Is it "any wonder tempers can fray when drivers are battling for a podium after a couple of hours lapping at 200mph?" (TELEGRAPH, 10/31).
