Sebastian Vettel has told Paul di Resta he hopes to see his former F3 championship rival and teammate on the formula one grid next year.

Scottish driver di Resta, who is a year older than the new F1 champion, beat 23-year-old Vettel to the F3 Euro Series title by 11 points in 2006 when they were both with the French ASM team.

So when Mercedes-Benz hailed its new DTM champion in Stuttgart on Thursday, Vettel appeared by video link and according to motorsport-magazin.com told di Resta: “I hope to see you in formula one next year.”

And the SID news agency quotes Vettel as adding: “Hopefully it will not be as tight as it was in F3!”

Di Resta, who won five F3 races compared to Vettel’s four in 2006, is now strongly linked with a Force India race cockpit for 2010 after serving as third driver this season.

He is reportedly in competition with Vitantonio Liuzzi and Nico Hulkenberg, with Adrian Sutil saying again this week that he has agreed a deal to stay with the Silverstone based team in 2011.

“We have reached an agreement. The signature is a mere formality, which will happen,” DPA news agency quotes Sutil as having told the broadcaster Eurosport.

“The drivers who do not have a contract yet want to join the team because it is the best team with an open place,” the German added.

Sections of the international media were angry after the FIA controversially decided not to further penalise Ferrari for imposing team orders at Hockenheim.

The full reasons for the decision have not yet been released, but the Daily Express in Britain said upholding the $100,000 stewards fine and ordering the paying of costs amounted to a “slap on the wrist”.

“It was like giving a 40 (pound) parking ticket to a supercar owner who finds it easier to break the law by parking outside Harrods than find a legal spot,” said the newspaper.

Moreover, the team orders ban has been referred back to the Sporting Working Group for review, moving the Daily Mail to muse that F1 has decided to “rip up its own rule book”.

One photograph, published at Brazil’s Globo website, depicted a Ferrari with a large FIA sponsor decal on its otherwise blank engine cover.

The Maranello based team, whose drivers were available for testimony by video link but ultimately not called upon, reacted officially to Wednesday’s verdict by expressing its “appreciation” to the FIA.

“People used to think the FIA stood for Ferrari International Assistance,” remarked an angry Eddie Jordan.  “Ferrari are important, but they must treat everybody with respect.”

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport said the events in Paris, ahead of the grand prix at Monza, was Ferrari’s “first victory of the week”.

Indeed, ‘Ferrari International Assistance’ became a major trending topic on Twitter as the news broke, and BBC anchor Jake Humphrey said his feedback from fans was “not positive”.

Ferrari’s race drivers have been summoned by the FIA to the forthcoming disciplinary hearing of the World Motor Sport Council.

That is the claim of the Spanish sports daily AS, which on Friday said both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa must appear either in person in Paris or via video link.

The pair swapped positions during July’s German grand prix at Hockenheim, allegedly due to the imposition of an illegal team order.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said before leaving Spa-Francorchamps last weekend that he was “sure the World Council will understand our point” on September 8.

But some, including Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, are hoping the outcome will be a points loss for the Italian team and its drivers.

“No, I don’t think so, we’re relaxed,” said Alonso last Sunday.

After Wednesday’s hearing, it is expected the verdict will be published later that day.

As well as the drivers and legal team, boss Domenicali and team manager Massimo Rivola are also slated to be in attendance at Place de la Concorde.