SEAT retract Plato's criticism
The SEAT British Touring Car team have moved to retract Jason Plato's criticism of the BTCC officials after he was excluded from the first race at Thruxton last weekend
The former champion argued that his disqualification for failing a ride height test was unfair because the part of the car that was below the minimum height was damaged in a collision with title rival Fabrizio Giovanardi during the race.
He was frustrated further when BMW driver Colin Turkington was excluded after failing the same test, but was later reinstated because his car was judged to have sustained substantial accident damage in the race.
This week's Autosport reported Plato saying: "I just don't understand how there's one rule for someone and one rule for someone else. But those are the rules, or so they tell us. It just seems that the rules work against us most of the time.
"We've spunked away good points this weekend through a decision that I think was wholly incorrect. It's very disappointing."
But his SEAT team withdrew those comments in a statement, which read: "The team would like to make clear that it understands and fully accepts the decision of the race officials.
"Some verbal comments were made by Jason Plato immediately after Round 10, when the full detail of events weren't entirely clear to him at the time. SEAT Sport UK wishes to unreservedly withdraw those remarks.
"We acknowledge that the regulations were correctly applied, that the appropriate penalty was imposed and apologise for any embarrassment to the championship and its officials, or for any confusion, that those initial comments may have caused."
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