Sebastian Vettel rages at Kvyat after Russian GP first-lap crash

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel (centre) is pushed by Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat, front left, while Australian Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo and British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton pass by during the Russian GP.

Sebastian Vettel let rip with an expletive-riddled rant that TV viewers around the world heard after he crashed out of the Russian Grand Prix on the very first lap. “You have to react on what is happening around you so I really don’t know what the start will be like”, he said.

On team radio, Vettel said: “I’m out”.

Kvyat pleaded his innocence in Shanghai, but received a drive-through penalty on this occasion after making contact with the back of Vettel’s auto at two successive corners, the latter impact ending the German’s race.

Horner accepted that his driver, who was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty by the stewards, was at fault.

The change of Ferrari engines yielded results on Friday, when Germany’s four-time World Champion Vettel showed the second best result in the afternoon’s second free practice (1 minute 38.235 seconds), while his team-mate Raikkonen clocked the fourth best time on the Sochi lap (1 minute 38.793 seconds).

“What Kvyat did was completely unnecessary”, Vettel, who is already 67 points adrift of championship leader Nico Rosberg, said on his arrival back in the paddock.

“There’s nothing I could have done differently”.

The German then confronted Red Bull boss Christian Horner in pit lane.

“I don’t dislike him but I think he made a mistake two weeks ago and a mistake today but it doesn’t change anything”.

“I am sure he was pumped up for his home race but I just think it took him by surprise how quickly the cars stopped ahead of him”, he said.

The streak of bad luck continues for Ferrari this season as damage to the gearbox was sustained during the first lap coming together of Vettel with Raikkonen in China.