Lewis Hamilton: Toto Wolff wants FIA talks after Sebastian Vettel controversy
MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff wants talks with the FIA after Lewis Hamilton was awarded the win at the Canadian Grand prix courtesy of a Sebastian Vettel penalty.
F1: Sebastian Vettel reacts to Canadian Grand Prix penalty
Ferrari star Vettel defended his pole position remarkably and crossed the chequered flag in first place.
But he was struck with a five-second penalty after crossing the grass at Turn 3 and almost pushing Hamilton into the wall.
With 22 laps remaining, the Mercedes man eased off his overtake to avoid crashing out of the race.
The stewards felt Vettel was guilty of “dangerous driving” and hit him with the punishment that earned Hamilton a fifth win of the season.
Wolff was grateful for the bonus points but he wants to see harder racing in F1 and is open to discussing the issue with the relevant authorities.
"I would really like to engage in discussions with the stakeholders, the FIA, and the teams to allow harder racing to the point that FIA can accept it from a safety standard,” Wolff said.
"I'm all for hard racing and that should be reflected in the rules then we will have different stewards' decisions.
"I don't feel sorry [for Vettel] - this is a no-prisoners sport. It can be the other way around too.
“But I can understand their frustration when the result goes against him."
However, Wolff is cautious not to encourage “bumper car” racing.
"I think that the drivers are gladiators in high-tech machines and we want them to fight it out there on track," he added.
"But it's not trivial to find the line between hard racing and bumper cars in the future.
Lewis Hamilton discusses Sebastian Vettel's penalty
"Then the FIA becomes the point of safety, how hard can they drive?
“Making rules is such a difficult exercise and your verdicts will not always please everybody.
"In Canada, the interpretation was according to the rules.
“It's clear that when you're Mercedes-biased you will say that probably it's the right decision and when you're Ferrari-biased you will say it could've been interpreted in the other way around.”