Karthikeyan returns blows to Vettel after crash

 
The shockwaves from the Malaysian Grand Prix are still reverberating in the Formula One world. Narain Karthikeyan has hit back at the Red Bull’s German driver Sebastian Vettel for calling him an “idiot” after their crash.
 
The storm might have passed over Malaysia after the weekend but it will clearly take some time before heading out of the F1 world. The defending champion, Vettel branded Karthikeyan after the crash which left him trailing in the standings.
 
Vettel started off at fifth place and ended sixth. The 24-year-old German was lapping Karthikeyan late in the lap when he returned to the racing line a bit early and clipped the HRT’s front wing.
 
The accident left Vettel with a case of flat tire, loss of points and a lot of anger. On the other hand, Karthikeyan believes this is imprudent behavior from Vettel, who is just venting his anger over having lost him dominance in the championship.
 
“I think he's highly frustrated because he's having a tough season,” Karthikeyan stated in an interview to the Deccan Chronicle. “It's completely unprofessional to blame me for the incident. The derogatory remark only goes to show him in bad light. Just because he has a good car, he can't call others an idiot. I have won races in all the previous single-seater championships I have participated in so I don't need a certificate from Vettel.”
 
Karthikeyan has also received backing from other drivers in Formula One. The list of drivers backing Karthikeyan includes the Force India pair Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta.
 
“From what I saw, it was not Narain's fault,” Hulkenberg said. “So I don't really understand why he (Vettel) said all that.”
 
Meanwhile, Di Resta also spoke on the issue. He said, “Narain is entitled to do as much on the track in comparison with someone like Vettel. Both are F1 drivers and are there to represent their teams.”