Vettel not ashamed

Formula One Double World Champion Sebastian Vettel has defended his post-race outburst aimed towards HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The German driver clipped his back wheel on the HRT of Karthikeyan when Vettel was lapping the Indian driver, the slight clip caused a puncture ending Vettel's chase for third and prevented him from even claiming any points.

Immediately after the race Vettel was interviewed about the incident and the German driver quipped: 'Like on normal roads, you have some idiots driving around. It seems there is also one driving here,'

Karthikeyan was penalised by the race stewards with a time penalty, which many in the paddock had just chalked up as a racing incident, but despite the penalty, it was Vettel's comments that he was more upset with and he responded by claiming his outburst was shameful, unprofessional and the act of a cry baby.

Over the past week both drivers have now tried to draw a line over the incident, but obviously the press continue to be interested by Vettel's comments.

So does he regret them? Not one bit.

'Sometimes you let the emotion show and I don't think someone should be ashamed about that,' Vettel told German newspaper Sport Bild.

'It is true that I was disappointed. But just shortly after the race I behaved like I felt. I think this is more honest than to be smiling, when you don't feel like smiling.' Vettel was quoted by the BBC.

'Sometimes 10 minutes after the race is enough to wind down, sometimes not. On [the] Monday [after the race] my mood was back to normal. I was able to tick it off and look ahead when I had slept over it.'

It's probably a fair reflection by a driver, immediately after the race the adrenaline is pumping and your judgement is clouded.

Or is it a the sign of a Vettel under pressure?