Lauda: Five seconds is nothing for Vettel's 'enormous' mistake

Lauda: Five seconds is nothing for Vettel's 'enormous' mistake

Matthew Scott

Sunday 24 June 2018 18:20

An incensed Niki Lauda has spoken of his frustration at the five second penalty given to Sebastian Vettel for his collission with Valtteri Bottas on the first lap of the French Grand Prix, branding it 'nothing' for 'such an enormous mistake'.

Vettel ploughed into the back of Bottas, damaging his own front nose and puncturing the Mercedes' man tyre, meaning both men had to pit and were forced to traverse the entire field in order to get back into the points.

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The German in the end had to settle for fifth position, losing significant ground on race winner and now championship leader Lewis Hamilton, but Lauda felt that the punishment for the incident should have been more severe.

He fumed to Sky Sports: "I think we could have had a one-two, and why Vettel only gets five seconds for this enormous mistake, I don't understand. Five seconds is nothing. He destroyed the whole race for himself and for Bottas.

Lauda also discussed Hamilton, who led from start to finish in what proved to be a very straightforward race for the Brit, and said that the weekend went according to plan for Hamilton - if not for Bottas.

He added: "He had the race fully under control and the full team did well. It was the right result - it would have been better had Bottas been there too - but I thank everyone in the team for a great day."