Marko backs Vettel after ’road rage’

Not everyone is siding against Sebastian Vettel following his apparently deliberate crash into championship rival Lewis Hamilton in Baku.

Most in F1, including the specialist press, pointed the finger of blame squarely at the Ferrari driver, after his apparent ’road rage’ moment.

"Vettel lost his nerve," said Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Corriere dello Sport added: "Vettel lost his head like a teenager."

But another Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, thinks both Vettel and Mercedes’ Hamilton behaved badly.

"The two star drivers behaved like two undisciplined road users," it declared. "Between them, nothing will be the same again."

Dr Helmut Marko, the Red Bull official who groomed Vettel and brought him into F1, agrees.

"Hamilton brake-tested Vettel," said the Austrian. "Vettel got angry and had his revenge, and when Mercedes did not attach Hamilton’s headrest properly, justice was balanced."

As for how he can excuse Vettel’s apparent act of violence against his competitor, Marko explained: "This happened at very low speed, behind the safety car.

"And a racing driver must have emotions. We should be happy because we need human emotions not technocratic rules."