Baku: A crazy Sebastian Vettel ‘freaked out’ under pressure in his road rage eruption during Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix — and is likely to be hit back with Lewis Hamilton’s fist, according to Mercedes boss Niki Lauda.
The three-time world champion and non-executive chairman of the Silver Arrows team said he had never seen anything like it before after Vettel had driven his Ferrari into Hamilton’s Mercedes on lap 19 of Sunday’s tempestuous race.
As four-time champion German Vettel woke to face the global reaction — mostly disappointment — to his actions and attitude as he sought out Hamilton’s phone number for a private chat, many observers said the 10-seconds penalty he received for the incident was not enough.
Lauda’s contemporary Briton John Watson suggested that the Ferrari driver should have been given a one-race ban, or other stronger sanction, while Lauda forecast that it would not be long before Hamilton punched back.
“He freaked out in himself,” said Lauda. “When you hit somebody up the a*** it is your fault. No question. But then to drive next to him and hit him on purpose, I have never seen anything like this.
“To do that I don’t understand. Vettel is a decent guy normally. This I don’t understand. He is crazy. Lewis will hit him one day. Not with the car but with his fist.”
Hamilton finished fifth, one place behind Vettel, and is now 14 points behind him in the title race after eight of this year’s 20 races.
