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Vettel escapes further sanctions for 'road rage'

Ferrari's Formula 1 championship leader Sebastian Vettel will not face any further sanction for his "road rage" collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the governing FIA said on Monday.

The German had been given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty during the race for angrily banging wheels with his Mercedes rival while they were behind the safety car.

He had risked a heavy fine, disqualification from the Baku results or even a race ban after the International Automobile Federation decided last week to review the causes of the incident.

Vettel, who turned 30 on Monday, attended a meeting at the FIA's Paris headquarters with Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

The driver admitted full responsibility, pledged to make a public apology and also "committed to devote personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across a variety of FIA championships and events".

The governing body said that "in light of these developments, FIA president Jean Todt decided that on this occasion the matter should be closed".

NO ENDORSEMENT

He also instructed that Vettel should not endorse any road safety activities until the end of the year.

Todt, a former Ferrari boss, recognised that top-level sport was an intense environment where passions ran high and noted also that the Italian team were aligned with the values and objectives of the FIA.

A formal apology was published on Vettel's personal website.

He said: "During the re-start lap, I got surprised by Lewis and ran into the back of his car. In hindsight, I don't believe he had any bad intentions.

"In the heat of the action, I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologise to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race.

"I realise that I was not setting a good example.

"I love this sport and I am determined to represent it in a way that can be an example for future generations." - REUTERS

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