SAO PAULO: Ferrari gatecrashed Sebastian Vettel’s triple world title party by insisting that Spaniard Fernando Alonso should have been crowned champion in an acrimonious, season-finale parting shot.

Red Bull driver Vettel’s sixth-placed finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday allowed him to become the youngest three-time champion in the sport’s history as the 25-year-old German claimed the title by just three points.  But Ferrari insisted that Alonso, who was second at Interlagos, should have been the man celebrating a third career title, pointing to controversial races in Belgium and Japan to support their argument.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said that Alonso paid a heavy price for first lap exits in Belgium and Japan where he was shunted out of contention by Lotus duo Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen respectively.

The Italian giants had been further aggrieved when Vettel, accused of blocking Alonso in qualifying in Japan before going on to win the race, escaped with just a reprimand.