Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says he and the Italian outfit never meant to belittle Sebastian Vettel’s latest title win following the overtaking scandal.
The team wrote a letter to the FIA asking for clarification as to whether Vettel had overtaken Jean-Eric Vergne illegally during the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The governing body duly replied saying Red Bull had nothing to answer to and the pass was completely within the regulations.
Domenicali says it was his duty to probe the incident further, but he never meant to discredit Vettel.
“I believe it was the duty of our team to make sure that the championship finishes in the best way possible, for the interest of the championship and for the interest of the team and our drivers,” he said.
“It was incumbent on us to ask the Federation for a clarification, given everything that was going round on the Internet,” he added. “We had no intention of belittling the merit of the title winner, but it was right to have the matter completely cleared up.
“The FIA has replied and we have noted their answer and now consider the matter to be closed.”
He added that the FIA must be trusted to make the best decisions.
“It’s always difficult to understand where the limits are in a sport like F1, especially on the technical front. However, one thing is certain; if one doesn’t trust the referees in sport, in this case the FIA, then it’s better to do something else.”
