Ricciardo furious Vettel, Hamilton go unpunished
UPDATE: Daniel Ricciardo was later promoted to third after Sebastian Vettel was handed a 10-sec penalty for moving under braking.
Daniel Ricciardo has launched a scathing attack against Sebastian Vettel for his on-track conduct after he accused the former champion of 'moving under braking' in their fiery battle during the closing stages of the Mexican Grand Prix.
In a bad tempered final few laps between Max Verstappen, Vettel and Ricciardo, the argument began when Verstappen out-braked himself into turn one lap 68 and ran across the grass, mirroring a similar moment for Lewis Hamilton at the start of the race, and held position.
Prompting a furious Vettel to argue against Verstappen's failure to give back position over the radio, a seeming lack of concentration would allow Ricciardo in fifth to attempt a pass up the inside into turn three.
With Vettel appearing to change line under braking - now banned under new rules enforced from the Japanese Grand Prix -, the pair made light contact, with the German retaining position to finish fourth. He was then promoted to third at the expense of Verstappen, who was demoted to fifth for cutting the first corner.
However, Ricciardo was furious to see Vettel keep his podium, not least because his move under braking - a tactic Vettel has campaigned against this year - went unpunished.
"Should be third. I just felt that Seb did what everyone has been complaining about lately, moving under braking. He's smiling now, I don't know, for me he doesn't deserve to be up there with the move he pulled. I saw he defended half-way down the straight, I was going to go to the outside and it just looked like he opened it so I committed to the inside.
"I thought I had every right to be there but he just kept closing the door under braking. I've locked the brakes to try and avoid contact but he kept closing so in the end I had nowhere to go"
Indeed, while Ricciardo has also questioned Verstappen's moves in the past, he was more defensive of his team-mate as he copped a penalty whereas others didn't, including Hamilton.
"Well I saw him and he wasn't happy with me but I wasn't happy with him. We know Max's moves have been a bit questionable. I guess that was the same case again today with Seb. I don't know. This whole moving under braking, like if you are going to defend, commit early and you make your bed, you don't do it more than once when you've been out-foxed. I felt like that's what I did today, he moved, I went, I won the chess match if you like and he was like 'Oh I've screwed up, I better repair my mistake', so for me that's not right
"I didn't understand the start, how you can be leading the race, defend, lock your wheels and go off-track and still stay in the lead. I think Lewis deserved a penalty, I think anyone in that position deserves a penalty.
"I saw Max cut the chicane trying to defend from Seb, he got a penalty, so I don't know to be honest what was different with his move and Lewis'. For me if you lock up the brakes and cut the corner, it's a mistake, you have to pay the price. I was just frustrated with how it all panned out today really."
