Lauda, Marko agree that Vettel incident 'is over'

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Leading figures in the Formula 1 paddock have agreed that the controversy regarding Sebastian Vettel's actions in Baku are now over and done with.

The Ferrari driver was penalised for banging wheels with Lewis Hamilton behind the safety car in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His actions were further investigated by the FIA in a special meeting in Paris on Monday.

Vettel initially refused to acknowledge the incident had even happened. However this week he presented a full apology for his actions. The FIA has said it now considered the matter closed.

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda had earlier been very critical of the four-time world champion. He had previously described the original ten-second stop-and-go penalty as a "joke." However, he said he now concurred with the FIA's decision to move on.

"I criticised Vettel because he did not see his mistake," he told Bild newspaper. "Now that he has apologised, the incident for me is over."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff agreed.

"We have moved past that moment now and it is a closed chapter," he said earlier this week. He added that the "great respect between Mercedes and Ferrari" remained intact after the row.

Vettel acknowledges 'overreaction' in Hamilton clash

"I am very happy that there is no further punishment," said Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko who was one of those behind Vettel's introduction into F1.

"It was just an emotional reaction to Hamilton's strategic manoeuvre," he told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV.

Formula 1's new chief executive Chase Carey was also quoted in the media this week as saying: "A little drama on the racetrack is not harmful."

However Hamilton might still be nursing a grudge over Vettel's actions and comments in Baku two weeks ago.

Hamilton reportedly 'liked' on Instagram a post on which a fan said he has "lost all respect for the FIA, Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel".

The pair will resume their on-track rivalry this weekend in the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.