Vettel says drivers are to blame for excessive penalties

Sebastian Vettel claims Formula 1 drivers, including himself, are to blame for the excessive penalties dished out by the stewards. He insists the "whinging" that drivers do after an incident forces the stewards to give a penalty.

The current championship leader, who celebrates his 31st birthday today, was given his second penalty in as many weeks at the Austrian Grand Prix. He ruined Carlos Sainz hot lap in qualifying by failing to move out of the way. He was unsighted.

He was docked three grid places and after the race said the strong penalty was a direct result of drivers actions in the past. However, many fans and pundits believe his five-second time penalty from the week before wasn't strong enough.

"I wasn't told, I tried to look out for him, I don't want to brag on about it, but...the rule book's now so fricking big," the German said in an interview on motorsport.

"I think it's a result of all the drivers, all of us I think we've more or less all been there, whinging and complaining, 'oh he's done this he's done that'. In the end, you should let us sort it out on track, that's my belief."

The Renault driver still made it into Q3, so the damage to Sainz was limited. Completly the opposite to how Valtteri Bottas was effected a week earlier from Vettel's mistake.

On a short track like Austria, drivers were bound to get tangled up with one another. What do you think? Was Vettel's penalty in Austria too harsh?