Glock: Audi sacrificing drivers to manipulate races is embarrassing

Glock hit out after an incident with Nico Muller in Sunday's DTM race at the Nurburgring, the third race weekend that Muller has been singled out for allegedly slowing down rivals.

Muller was accused of holding back a group of drivers that pitted early at Moscow, then at Zandvoort played the rear gunner to help an ailing Mathias Ekstrom hang on to win with a deflating tyre.

At the Nurburgring, Muller and Glock made contact after Muller pit late again - which led Glock, who went on to finish eighth, to label Muller a "sacrifice".

The ex-Formula 1 driver admitted that the tactics make it "a good show - it all looks spectacular", but said it was "a pity" for the DTM.

"I think it's embarrassing for Audi to manipulate races like that," said Glock.

"We know this game from Moscow, from Zandvoort and from other races.

"Audi likes to sacrifice their drivers.

"Nico is playing it skillfully, no question about that. I'm very, very sorry for Nico that he is playing along here.

"I'm not saying it was his fault [for the crash in the race] but the problem is what Audi is doing to place him there.

"In my view, Mercedes and BMW work reasonable and fair.

"They [Audi] need to win the championship, this is why they are playing these games."

Muller's car was significantly damaged in the incident and he eventually retired - although Glock says Audi kept him on-track to try and force a safety car.

"When Muller stays out with a flat tyre for two laps, it's clear what they were trying to achieve," said Glock.

"They were thinking hard whether this might lead to a safety car and whether they would gain an advantage."

Muller refuted this claim, saying he only stayed out hoping the damaged parts would fall off his car.

When asked if he was trying to bring out the safety car, he added: "Then I would have parked the car somewhere. No."

Mercedes' Sunday Nurburgring winner Robert Wickens joined Glock in criticising Audi's tactics.

"The Audi guys were trying to be clever," he said.

"It was pretty obvious what they were trying to do.

"I thought it was maybe a little bit over the limit because they were clearly brake-testing me at corner apexes and not accelerating out of corners.

"It's not really fair racing, but it is what it is.

"In the end there was no contact, so you cannot blame anyone."