Baku race winner Daniel Ricciardo has backed Lewis Hamilton as the fallout from his incident with Sebastian Vettel continues.
The Australian was running down in 10th when his former Red Bull team-mate hit the back of the Briton’s Mercedes and would respond by pulling alongside and banging wheels just before a Safety Car restart.
The later 10-second penalty Vettel would be awarded for his actions plus a headrest issue for Hamilton would open the way for the Australian to claim his first win this season, having moved up to fifth and then third behind the then leaders by passing the two Williams into Turn 1 at another restart after a red flag period.
But when asked by ESPN if he thought the German’s claim of the reason for the initial contact with Hamilton was justified, Ricciardo would reply: “I don’t think Lewis would have brake tested him, it just makes no sense because you also risk damaging your car.
“At the end of the day, it’s the leader’s right to dictate the pace. I think if you’re going super-fast and then slam on the brakes that’s a different story but because he was still going so slow at that stage it’s hard to call it a brake test.”
He would then go on to describe Vettel’s response to the alleged brake test as another example of how the four-time world champion can let his emotions control him.
“Seb probably sometimes doesn’t think before he acts,” he said to the BBC. “It’s probably driven through passion and hunger. He’s kind of just got to put a lid on it sometimes.
“I respect Seb a lot for his grit and his love for the sport, which turns into a lot of passion and sometimes aggression. I respect and like that about him.
“But today you have seen — whether it’s over the radio, sometimes he will just go crazy. It is probably — what’s the word? — spur of the moment? There’s a better word.
“He’s the leader, and it was too early for him to accelerate,” he added referring back to the incident. “You’re not going to make the restart out of Turn 15. Seb was probably just a little bit over-excited.”