Driving behind Hamilton in second place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix during a safety car period, Vettel believed the Mercedes driver brake-tested him and drove his Ferrari into his rival’s car.
Vettel was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty which cost him the race victory but the FIA decided not to punish him further following an investigation.
The German later admitted he was at fault and misjudged the situation in an apology but Hamilton was fuming at the lack of action taken.
Speaking at the FIA’s prize giving gala, Vettel revealed the incident had left a lasting impact on him.
“The worst feeling I had was after Baku I think, just because I sort of ruined the race with something unnecessary, so I struggled with that [mistake],” said Vettel.
“Then you would probably refer to other races such as Singapore and Japan, but then in Singapore, my point of view, that’s racing.
“I thought about it a lot on Sunday night and it wasn’t easy to put behind.
“What do you do. Same in Japan…there’s a saying that you ‘can’t hold onto something that’s not in your hands’ and that’s a good fit. You have to move forward.
“You struggle a lot more in life with things that you messed up than things that got messed up for you if you see what I mean.”