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Sebastian Vettel accuses Valtteri Bottas of putting F1 rivals at risk after chaotic restart

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Getty Images

Sebastian Vettel accused Valtteri Bottas of unnecessarily endangering the rest of the grid following the mass pile-up at the Tuscan Grand Prix.

Bottas was leading on the restart after the safety car but there was a melée behind the Finn after he delayed accelerating and hence getting the racing under way.

Vettel said: “It is simply unnecessary. As the leader, you have to be aware of such things. If you want to wait, you should wait a long time and then step on the gas but don’t stop and go. Five, ten vehicles behind you are then most likely to have an accident.”

The incident ended the race for Kevin Magnussen, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Giovinazzi and Carlos Sainz, but winner Lewis Hamilton defended his Mercedes team-mate.

“It’s absolutely not Valtteri’s fault at all,” said Hamilton, who is now within one win of Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 grand prix victories.

Hamilton said the FIA’s decision to delay the safety-car lights going out – indicating a resumption of racing – had “put people at risk.”

Race director Michael Masi said:” Safety is paramount, full stop, end of story.”

Hamilton wore a T-shirt during the anti-racism demonstration and on the podium saying “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor”, potentially incurring the FIA’s wrath.

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