Ecclestone: 'Hamilton tried to put Vettel in trouble'

Bernie Ecclestone knows a bad move when he sees one, but when it comes to the Ham-Vettel clash in Baku, the former F1 supremo appears to defend the Ferrari driver.

There was overwhelming condemnation of Vettel's wheel-banging antics today in the media, and lots of support for Hamilton.

Mr. E on the other hand apparently has an opposing view.

"As far as the Hamilton vs Vettel incident is concerned, these things happen in racing," the chairman emeritus of F1 told FormulaPassion.

"I think that Hamilton was trying to put Vettel in trouble by breaking and make the accident happen. Vettel's reaction was normal to let Hamilton know that he was aware for this reason."

Both Vettel and Bernie seem to ignore the facts. But everyone is entitled to an opinion...

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.