Ingram stripped of Donington BTCC race 2 win after Shedden contact

Ingram, who charged from 11th on the grid to take the chequered flag in front, has been penalised one second for contact with Gordon Shedden as he took the lead.

The penalty drops Ingram’s Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N to second position, with Shedden inheriting his second win of the day – and the second of his comeback season – in his Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R.

The contact was not caught on the TV footage, which showed Ingram getting an overlap on Shedden on the exit of Coppice before claiming the inside line and the race lead at the chicane on the 10th lap of 16.

But the cars did collide on the entry to Coppice, with Ingram making contact with the rear of Shedden.

“It was just a push-to-pass,” Shedden told Autosport.

“He got into the back of me and opened up a gap on the inside, which we know you can’t do.

“To be honest I feel sorry for him, because he had pace to have passed me anywhere, but we all know the rules: you can’t hit someone up the arse.”

The decision means that Shedden has hit a landmark of 50 victories in the BTCC.

“I should be absolutely delighted that I’ve won my 50th BTCC race, and I’m feeling bad, which I shouldn’t because I had nothing to do with it,” he added.

“He didn’t hit me massively hard, but it was enough to move me off the line I should have had.”

Ingram disagreed with the penalty.

“If it was a push-to-pass, I’d have been a little bit more forceful with it, because he’s done it to me previously,” Ingram told Autosport.

“Did he brake earlier than on every other lap? Yes.

“Did I run into him? Yes.

“Did it take him wide? No.

“Did it alter the course of his car? No.

“Did I drive past because I had zero success ballast and new tyres? Yes.”

Shedden’s Dynamics engineer Barry Plowman added that the team contacted Excelr8 immediately after the incident as part of a gentleman’s agreement whereby drivers give back the place and then try to pass again.

But Ingram said: “If it had been a push-to-pass I’d have given it back.

“I came from 11th to win without a mark on the car other than when Gordon brake-tests me.

“Was it contact? Yes. Did I gain an advantage? Absolutely not.

“Unfortunately he knows exactly how to play the system.”