Hamilton: Vettel broke the rules in Baku

Lewis Hamilton has accused Sebastian Vettel of flouting rules behind the safety car in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Vettel successfully kept first place after a safety car was required on the first lap, but Hamilton has criticised the Ferrari driver's tactics.

Hamilton and Vettel clashed behind the safety car in last year's race - the German banging wheels with his rival after accusing Hamilton of brake-testing him.

With positions reversed a year on, Vettel backed the field up significantly, swerving across the track even slower than customary before darting clear right at the safety-car line and maintain first place.

Hamilton went on to win a crazy race, which turned with the Red Bulls pitching each other out of the race and saw Vettel skate out of contention before Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncture from first place.

All four races so far this year have featured a safety car and Hamilton's criticism of Vettel may prompt an FIA investigation.

"You are not allowed to start and stop, start and stop," said Hamilton.

"You're not allowed to fake the guy behind.

"If there was not that rule, that's what you'd do because eventually you'd catch them sleeping.

"In Australia he accelerated and braked and I nearly went into the back of him and [in Baku] he did it four times and I need to speak to Charlie, because I don't understand.

"I understand he passed it to the stewards but they didn't do anything. They supposedly said everyone was doing it. But we're the leaders and it cascades down, what the first car does everyone does the same thing.

"That now sets a precedent, and it means everyone who is leading under a safety car can start-stop, start-stop.

"I need to get it rectified when I have the briefing next because clearly they don't care about it. And if that's the case we will see more of it. I will expect it from him next time and I will try to prepare."