Formula One’s savage Twitter slam on German drivers

THE Formula One doesn’t let the feelings of its own athletes get in the way of an epic social media smackdown.

Sebastian Vettel knows the F1 can be savage.

THE world of sport can be a cruel mistress — a rollercoaster of emotions if you will.

While one country is joyously celebrating thrilling victory, athletes that call that same nation home are wallowing in their frustrating setbacks.

For Germany’s football fans, this weekend has been one of triumph. But for the country’s motorsports supporters, it has been one of disappointment.

Germany ended their long-running hoodoo against Italy at Euro 2016, progressing through to the semi-finals after a thrilling 6-5 penalty shoot-out victory.

“It’s hard to put it into words, but I am overjoyed that it went in,” Germany’s Jonas Hector said.

But while celebrations poured into the streets of Bordeaux in France, not too far away in Austria, Germans were hurting — two Germans to be exact.

Formula One drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel were having a weekend they would rather forget. Despite qualifying second and fourth respectively for the Austrian Grand Prix, both drivers had received five-place grid penalties during practice runs, making their qualifying success bitter sweet.

Rosberg attracted the penalty in the final practice session of the weekend, after a suspension failure caused him to crash. The Mercedes driver will now start in seventh.

Similarly, Vettel will be forced to start in ninth place after Ferrari made a gear box change when they found it clogged with debris.

Both setbacks were a juxtaposition to the nation’s Euro 2016 victory, and would make a German triumph in Austria difficult.

If that wasn’t enough, the official Formula One Twitter account rubbed salt into the wounds on Sunday morning with the most savage of posts.

Not all Germans have had luck with penalties this weekend #Vettel #Rosberg #AustrianGP #GERITA #F1 pic.twitter.com/QcweL1ZJrd

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 2, 2016

“Not all Germans have had luck with penalties this weekend,” the post said, accompanied by distressed images of Rosberg and Vettel.

Some commentators on the tweet called for it to be deleted, while others applauded the organisation’s hilarious form.

Either way you look at it, one thing is for sure: F1 takes no prisoners.