Ban Vettel claims ex driver

Highly regarded former Formula One driver John Watson believes that Red Bull should suspend Sebastian Vettel for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Watson who made 152 starts in F1 for the likes of Brabham, Surtees, Lotus, Penske and McLaren between 1973 and 1985, won five races during his career and stood on the podium 20 times.

He’s also worked as a Formula One commentator for Eurosport, Sky and the BBC.

He believes that if any other driver on the grid ignored a direct team order like Sebastian Vettel did on Sunday then they would receive a punishment from the team.

‘I know that if other drivers in other teams disobeyed a team order they would be suspended or even fired.’ Watson told the BBC.

Vettel who in some small part has his Australian team-mate Mark Webber to thank for helping him to win three drivers and constructors titles over the past three years ignored multiple direct orders to not attack his team-mate for the race victory.

Webber had been informed that following the final pit-stop cycle that the drivers would look after their tyres and bring the cars home one-two in track position.

But while Webber turned down his engine settings, Vettel went on the attack, he failed in his first attempt immediately following the pit-stops and while he was told to stop being ‘silly’ by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Vettel continues to attack forcing the cars to bang wheels as Vettel risked it all to beat his team-mate.

While some will argue that Vettel was merely maximising his points gain over likely title rival Fernando Alonso who retired at the start of lap two, he’s done it in a ruthless, arrogant, disingenuous and unsporting manner. Something more suited perhaps to former seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher.

The fact that he broke team orders to do it, perhaps also emphasis the fact that he seems himself as bigger than the team.

Watson continued: ‘If Christian Horner doesn’t reassert his authority in the team – because he has been totally subjugated by Sebastian Vettel – then his position in the team is not exactly the role it is designed to be, The only conclusion I can reach is that Vettel should be suspended for the next grand prix.

‘You can’t take the points away from him and give them to Mark Webber. That’s now history and Sebastian has the benefit of those seven additional points.

‘You can’t really fine him – it is almost irrelevant to fine him – so the only purposeful way to bring him to book is to say ‘you will stand out one race’.