Despite the stewards determining otherwise, Sebastian Vettel reckons Valtteri Bottas did jump the start of the Austrian Grand Prix, but he accepts the decision not to penalise the Finn.
Both Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were vocal on the radio that Bottas had jumped the lights, but it was determined that his reaction time to the lights going out was 0.201 seconds, and as such no penalty was warranted.
Vettel called Bottas’ start ‘unhuman’, feeling the Finn got away with it as the Scuderia Ferrari driver was forced to accept second place into the first corner, a position he would hold until the chequered flag.
“From my point of view, he jumped the start – I was sure that he did,” said Vettel. “It looked like it from inside the car, but it’s not for me to judge at the end of the day.
“[My start] was quite tricky for me to keep standing still. it was OK, a bit of wheelspin early on.”
“When I say I don’t believe, I don’t believe. Normally, the reactions are 0.2s for everyone, so I don’t believe everyone was slower today.
“So that is why I don’t believe Valtteri was so much quicker. I was a strong believer that he jumped the start, but it turns out he didn’t – that is why I don’t believe it. His start was unhuman.”
