It’s getting very, very heated over in the world of Formula One.

This weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku was one for the ages, with Lewis Hamilton calling Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel a “disgrace”.

Vettel was ruled to have deliberately crashed into Hamilton, with the Telegraph describing the incident as follows:

The flashpoint arrived on lap 19, when Vettel rammed into the back of Hamilton as the safety car was deployed for a second time. Then, the 29-year-old German, believing Hamilton had deliberately ‘brake-tested’ him by slowing suddenly, pulled alongside the Mercedes before driving into the side of Hamilton’s car.

You can see that play out here:

Not a good look at all.

Vettel has denied any wrongdoing and believes that the punishment handed his way is unduly harsh, but Hamilton isn’t buying that:

“For him to pretty much get away with driving into another driver is a disgrace,” Hamilton said. “I think he disgraced himself today. If he wants to prove that he is a man we should do it out of the car, face-to-face.

“It is a misjudgment from him and some people don’t like to own up to their own mistakes.

“The stewards looked at my data and the reason I didn’t get a penalty is because I clearly did not brake-test him. It could not be clearer. It is as clear as blue skies.

“Ultimately what happened was disrespectful. There are kids watching us on TV. You think a multi-time world champion would behave better than that. I really hope that kids don’t see that and think that is the right way. That is not how you drive.”

Everyone is excited for Mayweather versus McGregor, but an “out of the car, face-to-face” fight between these two would be very watchable.

The race results, which have become the sideshow:

You’ve heard Lewis’ take on the matter so let’s give Vettel the floor:

“We had a little contact, but I drove alongside him, mostly to raise my hand. I did not give him the finger. I just wanted to tell him, because I can’t literally talk to him, that what he did was not right.

“I don’t agree with the penalty I got. If you penalise me, then you should penalise both of us because that was not the way to do it.”

…“We are grown-ups, and we are expected to race, use our elbows, and that is what people want.”

I stopped watching Formula One a long time ago, but perhaps it might be worth tuning in once more.

[source:telegraph]