Mexico 2016: Vettel's fury at Verstappen and Whiting

Sebastian Vettel's anger at Max Verstappen spread to race director Charlie Whiting as the fight for third unravelled in the closing laps of the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. Verstappen had crossed the grass and stayed ahead of the Ferrari.

The flashpoint came at Turn 1 on lap 68 at Mexico City's Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on 30 October 2016. Vettel tried to pass, but Verstappen outbraked himself, crossed the grass and rejoined still ahead of him. He kept the place, and race control did not intervene immediately.

Vettel accused the Red Bull driver of deliberately holding him up and brake-testing him. When Ferrari told him that Whiting would review the incident after the race, rather than immediately order Verstappen to surrender the position, he turned his anger on the race director too.

Race engineer Riccardo Adami was trying to explain Whiting's response when Vettel interrupted with an insult: “This is the message for Charlie: get lost!”

The delay also allowed Daniel Ricciardo to catch Vettel. On lap 70, Ricciardo attacked at Turn 4; Vettel changed line under braking and the cars made contact. On the slowing-down lap, Vettel drew alongside Verstappen and gestured at him with a raised index finger.

Vettel did reach the podium, though his third place would not stand. Verstappen received a five-second penalty and was sent out of the cooldown room shortly before the ceremony, moving Vettel into third. Hours later, the stewards imposed a ten-second penalty and two penalty points on Vettel for his dangerous change of direction against Ricciardo.

Ferrari tried to overturn the decision, but the stewards upheld it and said race control had not been obliged to intervene earlier. Ricciardo moved from fifth to third in the final classification, with Verstappen fourth and Vettel fifth.