Ferrari say they consider the dispute over Sebastian Vettel’s driving in the Brazilian Grand Prix “closed”.

“Ferrari duly takes note of the reply sent by the FIA this morning and therefore considers the matter now closed,” the team said in a statement on Friday.

“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,” said the team.

“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 One enthusiasts, not just Ferrari fans.”

The FIA issued the following statement:

“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.

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“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.”

Had the FIA concluded Vettel’s pass on Vergne was illegal, a penalty would likely have dropped him down the classification far enough to make Fernando Alonso the drivers’ champion.

The FIA stated yesterday Vettel’s pass on Vergne began after a green flag and was therefore legal.

Red Bull said they 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 team added in a statement.

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2012 Brazilian Grand Prix

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