Sebastian Vettel has defended his former mentor Michael Schumacher. The seven time world champion has been roundly criticised since last Sunday's Spanish grand prix, after crashing into Williams' Bruno Senna at the end of the Barcelona straight.
He called the Brazilian driver an "idiot" on the radio and later defended the outburst, but the FIA did not agree, imposing a five-place qualifying penalty for Monte Carlo for causing a collision.
"For us, that manoeuvre of Michael's cost us a lot," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said on Austrian Servus TV.
He said the debris from the crash not only damaged Vettel's front wing, but led to the reigning world champion having to serve a drive-through penalty due to activating his DRS wing in the yellow-flag zone.
German Vettel, however, defended Schumacher.
"In those situations we don't have much time of course," he said, "and you can get very great speed differences (between the cars) on the straights.
"I think it should be classified simply in the category of racing accidents. Unfortunately it happens," said the reigning world champion.
"Of course you can always say what is what afterwards," added Vettel, "just as you can say that it always takes two to tango."
Mercedes' Norbert Haug was less eager to comment, although he did tell Germany's Sport1 that the team "accepts the verdict of the race stewards." (GMM)
Vettel defends Schumacher after Senna crash
- Published on 16 May 2012 14:43
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- By: Danny Sosef
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Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 1,480
- Podiums 56
- Grand Prix 161
- Country DE
- Date of b. Jul 3 1987 (38)
- Place of b. Heppenheim, DE
- Weight 62 kg
- Length 1.75 m
- 281,400 comments on Aston Martin
57 members have this team as their favourite
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Team profile
- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- 633,264 comments on Mercedes
- 59 members have this team as their favourite
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