MEXICO CITY: Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has been promoted to third place after he declared he deserved another podium after a drama-filled conclusion to the Mexican Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton won the race to cut Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg's lead to 19 points and prevent the German taking his first title with two races to spare.
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Ricciardo: 'He doesn't deserve to be up there'
Daniel Ricciardo vents his frustration with Sebastian Vettel's podium placement at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The pole-to-flag victory was the triple world champion's eighth of the season and put him level with France's Alain Prost in the all-time lists with 51 career victories. Only Michael Schumacher (91) has won more.
Ricciardo crossed the line in fifth place but was initially elevated to fourth when his Red Bull teammate Verstappen copped a five-second penalty for holding his spot ahead of Vettel after going off track on the fourth last lap.
Vettel later copped a 10-second penalty for under-braking in an incident involving Ricciardo, which has elevated the Australian to third and dropped the German back to fifth behind Verstappen.
Verstappen crossed the line in third, but copped a five-second penalty - subsequently dropping him to fifth - after he maintained his position ahead of Vettel despite going off the track.
After the race, Ricciardo was adamant the Ferrari driver should also have been penalised for under-braking, prompting Verstappen to exit the track.
"He (Vettel) is smiling now," he said.
"He doesn't deserve to be up there (on the podium).
"I thought I had every right to be there but he kept closing the door under-braking. I was frustrated with that."
Vettel was livid at the end of the race about the incident, pulling up alongside Verstappen after delivering a foul-mouthed spray over the the team radio about the 19-year-old.
"He has to let me go, he has to let me go," Vettel, who had been trying to pass the Red Bull driver on the 67th of the 71 laps, exclaimed furiously as Verstappen refused to concede the place.
"He (Verstappen) is a ----," Vettel yelled over the team radio.
"Am I the only one, or are you not seeing what I'm seeing? He's just backing me off into (Daniel) Ricciardo.
"Move, move for f---'s sake. He cut the chicane. He has to give me the position. End of the story."
The German then lashed out at veteran race director Charlie Whiting over the incident, again via his team radio.
"Here's a message to Charlie: f--- off. Honestly, f--- off."
Later, the four-time champion said "I was using a lot of sign language. You have to understand the adrenaline".
Verstappen defended himself with vigour, saying Vettel should go back to school.
"I don't know how many times he is using very bad language," said the teenager. "I will speak to him because this is how ridiculous he is handling it, he is just a very frustrated guy at the moment."
Ricciardo also compared Verstappen's behaviour to that of Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Rosberg earlier in the race.
Hamilton drove wide of the track at one point, while Rosberg also left the track following a nudge.
"I also didn't understand the start, how you can be leading the race, defend, go off the track and not get a penalty?" Ricciardo asked.
"What was different with Max Verstappen's move and Lewis'? It was a mistake and you have to pay the price."
Ricciardo will likely finish third this season, with Vettel only being able to overtake him for the position if he wins the last two races and Ricciardo fails to score more than three points.
Rosberg, who would have clinched the title had he won and Hamilton finished 10th or lower, finished 8.354 seconds behind to anchor champions Mercedes to their sixth one-two finish of the season.
The German can clinch the title if he wins the penultimate round at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit in Brazil in two weeks' time.
"Lewis has been too fast this weekend," said Rosberg. "I just have to accept second place."
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished sixth, Nico Hulkenberg seventh for Force India and the Williams pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa eighth and ninth.
Mexican Sergio Perez took the final point for Force India in 10th place.
AAP, Reuters