Formula One: Sebastian Vettel clearly at fault in Singapore wreck

A first-lap wreck collected a number of drivers in the Formula One race at Singapore. Sebastian Vettel was clearly the driver at fault.

At the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, the 14th race of the 20-race 2017 Formula One season, a huge wreck took place involving Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen and then eventually Fernando Alonso.

As a result of this wreck, which could have major championship implications thanks to the fact that standings leader Lewis Hamilton won the race to extend his lead in the standings to 28 points over Sebastian Vettel, who started the race from the pole position and was involved in the wreck, much controversy has ensued.

Hamilton ended up winning the race after starting in 5th place, which is now his worst starting position in a race he ended up winning since he won at Silverstone in 2014 after starting in 6th. The win was his first win of the season that came in a race during which he did not start from the pole position. Prior to this win, his past 10 wins had come in races during which he started on pole. His most recent win in a race during which he did not start on pole came last year at the Hockenheimring.

But even with all of that factored in, this wreck should not be hugely controversial. Without a doubt, Vettel was at fault, and it really should not require too much explaining for you to see why this is the case. He may very well have cost himself his fifth career Formula One title by causing this wreck.

As you can see in the video above, Max Verstappen, who started the race alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2nd place, simply went straight and had nowhere to go when Vettel cut across him to block him. The wreck was clearly not Verstappen’s fault.

Kimi Raikkonen, who started in 3rd place, was simply attempting to pass Verstappen on the inside before making contact with him. But the only reason Raikkonen made contact with Verstappen was because Vettel cut across Verstappen and caused Verstappen and Raikkonen to slam into each other. The wreck was clearly not Kekkonen’s fault, either.

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And finally, as a result of the contact between Verstappen and Raikonnen, Fernando Alonso crashed after picking up five spots in the first turn of the first lap of the race. He very well could have had a podium finish for the first time since he drove for Ferrari in the 2014 season had he not been taken out by such an unnecessary crash.

A few turns into the first lap, however, Vettel got what was coming to him when he spun out and hit the wall, ending his race. Vettel is no stranger to causing unnecessary wrecks, as he slammed into Lewis Hamilton from the side earlier this season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix before a restart.

In this scenario from earlier this season, Vettel initially thought that Hamilton had intentionally brake-checked him, although he later admitted that he realized that that was not the case and that he overreacted in the heat of the moment. He was not given a post-race penalty as a result of this incident, and he was not given a post-race penalty after causing the Singapore crash, either.

Next: Looking back at Lewis Hamilton's record 69 poles

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