Ferrari say case is closed over Sebastian Vettel Brazilian GP flag controversy

Ferrari have confirmed that they consider the Sebastian Vettel flag controversy closed after receiving a written response from the FIA.

The Italian team also maintained they were morally obliged to seek clarification on the matter for the good of F1's image. "The letter to the FIA was in no way intended to undermine the legality of the race result," the Scuderia statement continued. "We received tens of thousands of queries relating to this matter from all over the world and it was incumbent on us to take the matter further, asking the Federation to look into an incident that could have cast a shadow over the championship in the eyes of all Formula 1 enthusiasts, not just Ferrari fans." Red Bull subsequently welcomed the clarification via a statement of their own on the team's official website: "We are pleased, but not surprised, that the FIA has confirmed there is no case to answer regarding the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. "We are extremely proud of Sebastian's incredible achievement and his third historic title, which makes him the youngest ever triple world champion." The Ferrari statement in full:
'The request for a clarification from the FIA, regarding Vettel's passing move on Vergne, came about through the need to shed light on the circumstances of the move, which came out on the Internet only a few days after the race. The letter to the FIA was in no way intended to undermine the legality of the race result. We received tens of thousands of queries relating to this matter from all over the world and it was incumbent on us to take the matter further, asking the Federation to look into an incident that could have cast a shadow over the championship in the eyes of all Formula 1 enthusiasts, not just Ferrari fans. Ferrari duly takes note of the reply sent by the FIA this morning and therefore considers the matter now closed.' The FIA statement in full:
'The FIA received a letter from Scuderia Ferrari, seeking clarification on Sebastien Vettel's overtaking manoeuvre in Sao Paulo on Sunday. In the spirit of transparency and goodwill, the FIA wishes to make public the receipt of this letter. The Federation also informs it has replied to Scuderia Ferrari, in the same constructive spirit, stating that as the overtaking manoeuvre was not in breach of the regulations, and therefore there was no infringement to investigate, it was not reported to the Stewards by Race Control.'