(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Formula One figures may be lining up to condemn Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel for deliberately driving into Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday but few will rue the injection of some friction into the title race.
While every sport mdash; officially at least mdash; wants its main protagonist to be respectful and worthy role models, it is hard to deny a true rivalry does not make the championship more exciting.
'They are warriors, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said. 'They are at war at the moment. They are fighting for the race wins and the championship.
'Now the gloves are off. The sport needs the rivalry. What we have seen today is the ingredient of a great championship.
Hamilton was leading in Baku and on course for a crucial victory when Vettel mdash; claiming the Brit brake-tested him by suddenly slowing mdash; ran into his car from behind under the safety car.
That raised eyebrows but what followed next was remarkable as Vettel drew alongside Hamilton and then consciously turned in to bump his rival on purpose.
Hamilton later lost the race to Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo as he had to pit to repair a loose head restraint while Vettel, penalised only by a 10-second stop-and-go order, could skip Hamilton to finish fourth to the Briton's fifth.
What looked like a race which would cut Vettel's championship lead over Hamilton to just five points had suddenly increased his advantage to 14.
Senna v Prost, Mansell v Piquet, Schumacher v well, several drivers, have lit up championships throughout F1 history and with 12 races remaining in 2017, Vettel v Hamilton could become a new classic.
Vettel insisted he had done nothing wrong but at least tried to cool things down by saying: 'I don't have a problem with him. I respect him a lot for the driver he is.
Hamilton, however, was backed by the data from his car which appeared to show the lsquo;brake-test' was imagined by Vettel and was in no mood for reconciliation.
'Driving alongside and driving deliberately into a driver and getting away scot-free, pretty much mdash; he still came away with fourth mdash; I think it's a disgrace, he told broadcaster Channel 4. 'I think he disgraced himself today, to be honest.
Hamilton pointed out Vettel has had a history of losing his temper on the track and the German must now walk a tightrope in the next race in Austria on July 9. A further penalty would likely take him to 12 points on his license in a 12-month period and possible suspension from the next British Grand Prix.
'Vettel is a decent guy normally. This I don't understand, Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said. 'He is crazy. Lewis will hit him one day. Not with the car but with his fist.
Physical violence would likely be a step too far even for those silently grateful for the edge delivered to the season on the Baku street circuit.
But it is safe to say, all eyes will be on the pair when they line up again in Spielberg, two weeks from now.
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