Vettel's Penalty is Lifted

By Andrew Cutler
October 5 2007

After reviewing the YouTube video, taken by a fan in the stands, of the Vettel/Webber crash at last weekend's Japanese GP, the race stewards have decided to reduce the ten grid spot qualifying penalty that he was to face at this weekend's Chinese GP to a simple repremand.

Franz Tost, STR's Team Principle, had brought the video to the FIA's attention in an effort to show that the crash was, at least in part, due to Vettel's reaction to race leader Lewis Hamilton's 'erratic' behavior during the Safety Car period. While the stewards did not deem Hamilton's actions to warrent any of the penalties that were rumored to be in the offing, they did agree with Tost's assertion that the Vettel/Webber incident was not a clear-cut case of right and wrong.

"What has become apparent is the view clearly expressed by all drivers and team managers alike that the conditions at Fuji were exceptionally bad and worse than those previously experienced when the race starts behind the safety car," said the stewards.

"Because of these views, the stewards accept that it may be inappropriate to impose the penalty normally applied for an offence such as this."