Lewis Hamilton has branded his Formula One world championship rival Sebastian Vettel a disgrace after the German deliberately drove into him at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hamilton demanded that, if they are to clash, they should do so like “men” outside the car.

Hamilton’s Mercedes was leading the race in Baku and was behind the safety car just before the restart when Vettel’s Ferrari hit him from behind. An angry Vettel, believing Hamilton had braked deliberately and sparked the collision, then drew level and swerved into the side of the British driver’s car.

“Driving alongside and deliberately driving into a driver and getting away scot‑free pretty much – he still came away with fourth – I think that’s a disgrace,” Hamilton said. “I think he disgraced himself today, to be honest.”

Hamilton finished one place back in fifth and said: “If he wants to prove that he’s a man, I think he should do it out of the car face to face. I think driving dangerously which can put another driver at risk – luckily we were going slow – but if we were going fast it could have been a lot worse. Imagine all the young kids that are watching Formula One today and see that kind of behaviour from a four-time world champion. I think that says it all.”

Vettel insisted he had not been at fault, although the stewards gave him a 10‑second stop-go penalty for dangerous driving. “It was quite obvious,” he said. “I didn’t run into the back of him on purpose. I damaged my wing, I think he had a little bit of damage as well. Nothing that would have impacted on the race. It’s just not the way to do it. I think it was very clear. In the end we’re racing as men. I don’t have a radio to him. If I get a penalty, then we should both get a penalty.”

He said he had not intended to hit Hamilton when he drew alongside him. “We had a little contact, but I drove alongside him mostly to raise my hand. I did not give him the finger. I just wanted to tell him, because I can’t literally talk to him, that what he did was not right.”

Hamilton strongly rejected the claim he had brake-tested the Ferrari driver. “I think it’s a misjudgment from him to blame it on the car in front,” he said. “Some people don’t like to own up to their own mistakes.”

This season is the first in which the two drivers have competed in closely matched cars in Formula One and up until now their relationship has been marked by a friendly, mutual respect. With Hamilton clearly aggrieved and Vettel having extended his title lead to 14 points, that may be hard to maintain over the next 12 meetings, given Hamilton’s scathing response.

“Ultimately what happened was disrespectful,” he said. “There are kids watching us on TV. You think a multi-time world champion would behave better than that. But we know that, when times get tough, true colours show. I really hope that kids don’t see that and think that is the right way. That is not how you drive.”

Ferrari’s team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, defended his driver. “We don’t want to get into an argument but I think I can say that some decisions that were not entirely clear never worked in favour of our team,” he said.

However, the Mercedes non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda, was fiercely critical. “Vettel is a decent guy, normally,” the three-times world champion said. “This I don’t understand. He is crazy. Lewis will hit him one day. Not with the car but with the fist. If I was Lewis, I would speak to Sebastian and ask him what is wrong.”

Hamilton, however, clearly felt there was no need for further explanations. “There was no reason to pull alongside me at that point it was clear,” he said. “We are world champions, the best in the world, we don’t just swerve to the right.”