26/07/2016
NEWS STORY
Sebastian Vettel has spoken out following his teammate's criticism of Max Verstappen's defensive tactics in Sunday's Grand Prix.
The Finn, known for his calm reaction to... well, everything... was incensed by the youngster's tactics as the pair battled for fifth in the final stages of the race.
Having already lost a front wing endplate in one bruising clash, the Finn subsequently called on his team to have words with race director Charlie Whiting, as he claimed the Dutch driver was moving across the track more than once and in reaction to the Ferrari driver's own moves.
Though no action was taken, Vettel has given his support to his teammate, claiming that Verstappen needs to curb his overenthusiasm.
"I think one of Max's strengths is he's very aggressive," he told reporters after the race, "obviously sometimes you overstep the line. I think he will calm down, give him a bit of time.
"It's also one of his strong points," admitted the German, "of course, when you are fighting with him and sometimes here or there the car in front is not behaving fair, then it's not great.
"Kimi is one of the fairest guys in the field," he added, "but that's how it is sometimes. The race is long, the season is long, so I'm sure they'll meet again."
The German is concerned that if the stewards start getting involved in every little incident, it will damage the sport.
"I'm against the whole policy of penalties and complicated ruling," he said, "I think it's silly. I think people outside are laughing at us, and that's something we need to work on."