Domenicali: Ferrari never wanted to diminish Vettel's title triumph
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has denied his team's intention was to diminish Sebastian Vettel's championship victory when asking for clarification on the German's pass in the Brazilian Grand Prix
Ferrari wrote a letter to the FIA asking for clarification on the move after footage from the race appeared to indicate he may have overtaken Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Verne under yellow flag conditions.
The team received the clarification from the FIA and said on Friday that it considered the matter closed.
Domenicali said on Friday it was his team's duty to ask for clarification, but made it clear it was not Ferrari's intention to cast a shadow over Vettel's third title.
"I believe it was the duty of our team to make sure that the championship finishes in the best way possible, for the interest of the championship and for the interest of the team and our drivers," said Domenicali during a press conference in Madrid.
"It was our duty to ask for a clarification to the FIA to understand what was the thing that was circulating on the web, without trying to diminish the victory of the driver who has won the title.
"But with the approach of seeking clarity and trying to understand what was the video that was on television. It was nothing more than that.
"So it was a very rational and very correct approach from Ferrari to make sure that we understood. We have received the clarification from the FIA, so we have taken notice of their position.
The Italian insisted the team has now moved on and is already focusing on giving Fernando Alonso a car to win the title next season.
"As I said, there's nothing to say apart from the fact that we look ahead," he said. "We need to look ahead and these things will give us more spirit to look for the start of next season.
"I believe Fernando deserved this title and we need to make sure that Fernando will be able to win the title next year."
Domenicali also said his team will always do whatever is necessary to ensure everyone abides by the rules.
"I think that there were a lot of polemics, not only this year but also in the past," he added.
"This is part of F1, and not only F1. If we don't as sportsmen follow the principle that the FIA has the duty to make sure that everyone is compliant with the regulations and we don't believe in it, it is better to do another job.
"Of course when we speak about regulations we speak about something that is always on the limit, the limit is very thin and sometimes difficult.
"What I can guarantee looking ahead we will make sure that if we see something we will use our formalities to make sure that our rights are totally protected."
Ferrari braced for hardest year yet in 2013 Formula 1 season
Formula E: An unlikely saviour?
Why physical fitness is an understimated challenge for IndyCar rookies
The lack of in-car physical fitness is an “underestimated” hurdle for an IndyCar Series rookie, according to Dale Coyne Racing's Indy Lights graduate Sting Ray Robb.
Bubba Wallace ‘got dumped’ by Austin Dillon in NASCAR Clash
Bubba Wallace says Austin Dillon “dumped” him out of second place in NASCAR’s chaotic Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night.
Albon warns Williams has "long road ahead" to recover in F1
Alex Albon admits that his Williams Formula 1 team has a “long road ahead” as it tries to progress up the field this year.
Toyota won’t put more pressure on Katsuta at WRC Rally Sweden
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala says the team won’t "put more pressure" on Takamoto Katsuta to deliver in his first drive for the factory team this weekend.
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.