F1 title race re-opened: Ferrari may appeal for Vettel penalty

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) believes there is no case to answer as Ferrari weighs an appeal that, if successful, would strip Vettel of the F1 title and give it to Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.

Video footage from Sunday’s Brazilian GP appears to show that Vettel passed Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso’s while there was a yellow caution light being shown.

If a rules breach is proven, Vettel could be hit with a 20-second penalty, which would move him from sixth to eighth place in the race and give Alonso the F1 title by one point.

“The incident wasn’t reported to stewards in the first place because it didn’t seem like there was a need to report it at the time,’’ Norman Howell, the director of communications for the FIA said. “Now that Ferrari has sent us a letter asking for an explanation we will give it to them.’’

Camera’s eye

One of the videos was taken from a camera lodged on Vettel’s car. “Ferrari has asked, via a letter, an explanation from the FIA over VET’s pass of VER on lap 4 of the Brazilian GP,’’ the Italian team said in a Twitter post Thursday.

Alonso finished second in the race at Interlagos but Vettel’s sixth place was enough to give him his third straight season title by three points. The 25-year-old German became

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