Audi accept call on Spengler pit exit

The Canadian made his first pitstop just before the safety car came out, and the pitlane was closed just as he reached the pit exit.

Onboard footage from Spengler's car showed that the light changed just before he reached the end of the pitlane, but the Mercedes driver did not receive a penalty, and he went on to win the race.

Audi's head of motorsport Wolfgang Ullrich said: "I went to race control after the race to see the footage again, and now I'm convinced that there was nothing Spengler could have done.

"He was so close it was impossible for him to react. It could have happened to anyone.

"This is alright, and I see no other possibility. Now we can concentrate on the second half of the season."

Not all of Audi's drivers agreed with Ullrich though, and Mattias Ekstrom was particularly disappointed that Spengler was not penalised.

"For me, red means stop," the 2004 champion told autosport.com. "All drivers can react in time. This is unacceptable."

Spengler dismissed the controversy immediately after the race, as he felt that he had done nothing wrong.

"Other people are saying things, but for me the red light was not an issue," he said. "There's nothing to discuss."