Bernie Ecclestone has called the recent controversy over Sebastian Vettel’s overtake on Jean-Eric Vergne, which many believed to have taken place illegally, a “shame” for the sport.
The overtake looks to have taken place under yellow flag conditions, but grainy onboard footage shows a green flag being waved by a marshall prior to the pass – leading the FIA to dismiss the claims.
Ecclestone was disappointed that such a ‘super’ season had come to an end with headlines claiming Vettel to be guilty of something he hadn’t done.
“It’s a shame because everything had gone so well,” the 82-year-old told Telegraph Sport. “It was a super race, a super championship. Now everyone is talking about this. The problem is that no one knows what is going on.”
Ferrari have raised issue with the FIA asking for clarification on the matter via a letter sent on Thursday by team principal Stefano Domenicali. Ecclestone though says it’s too late for such action.
“In the rules and regs, normally you have to protest [immediately after the race],” he explained. “They [Ferrari] missed that time.
“Then there is the fact that a green flag was shown, which nobody seems to dispute. It’s a complete joke. What [Ferrari] are saying in that letter is wrong. I don’t think there needs to be any action taken. It’s completely and utterly wrong. Nothing is going to happen.”
