Leader Vettel locked up at Turn 1 as he steered away from the apex to avoid running over the birds.

He spoke about them with race winner Lewis Hamilton, first in the pre-podium room straight after the race, and then invaded an interview with Hamilton on Sky Sports F1.

"The lap before the Virtual Safety Car I arrived into Turn 1 and I see this stupid couple of seagulls," said Vettel, who finished runner-up.

"Just sitting there – all relaxed. I'm coming along at speed and my car is like red, it's easy to see, it doesn't blend in like yours [pointing at Hamilton].

"It wasn't a pigeon, it was a seagull, I could see the beak. I didn't know their names, but they were there. It was the worst moment of my race."

Finds out Hamilton's Plan A strategy

While Vettel demanded to be shown a replay of the seagull incident, he cunningly took the opportunity to ask Hamilton what pitstop strategy he'd initially planned.

"We were going to do a two-stop," Hamilton replied. "That was Plan A."

Vettel responded to the presenters: "Yeah, in his shoes, you do the opposite."

Hamilton: "He said 'Plan B' and I was like 'What the hell is Plan B? I don't remember what it is!'"

Sky then showed the incident Vettel was searching for…

"Two seagulls – you see! I had my eyes so deep into the apex, I locked up. Mind the animals!

"Play that again. Can you see they stayed there? That's what really annoyed me. I was doing a hundred and something, and they stay there!

"If you caught those two seagulls you might prove the opposite whatever you ever found out in history about seagulls."