Which F1 driver was called a 'cucumber' by Sebastian Vettel?

Sebastian Vettel was not happy with former Indian F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan during the 2012 Malaysian GP, as both drivers got entangled. The race is regarded as one of the classics in F1 history and saw drama from the first lap to the last in mixed conditions. Vettel started the race from P5, while the Indian driver started from P23. But both drivers were in the Top 10 after the safety car mid-race.

In the dying stages of the race, normalcy resumed as the Red Bull moved up the grid while the HRT moved down. Narain Karthikeyan did not get out of Sebastian Vettel's way properly while getting lapped by the world champion.

Karthikeyan had already collided with Jenson Button's McLaren earlier in the race, which caused damage to his front wing. The German driver was not pleased with the incident that gave him a puncture and called the Indian a 'vegetable', saying:

"He was off the track. In my view, it was over. As in real life, there are a few cucumbers on the road. It's extremely frustrating, because in a chaotic race where I lost the radio right at the beginning, a fourth place would have been satisfactory."

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Aston Martin F1 team boss comments on Sebastian Vettel's influence

F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan - Practice

Despite his retirement from the sport in 2022, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack did not shy away from praising Sebastian Vettel and his contribution to the progress of AMR23.

As per Autosport, he said:

"I think he has his merits in where the car is today. Because we had many, many meetings last year where he gave us a hint: 'Do this or do that or do not do this with the new car.' So, I think he has his merits here. Well, if you've retired too early or too late, that is something you have to ask him."

He added:

"And then we have to respect the decision that he took. He reflected for a long time before he made that decision and when he made it and if we have to move on, he has to move on. And if it's a shame for him, yes or no, this I think you should ask him."

It would have been fascinating to see if Sebastian Vettel would have performed at a similar level as Fernando Alonso in 2023 had he not retired from the sport last season and missed out on the chance to drive a front-running car once again.