UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Ammermuller: 'I always get the worst penalty'

German hits out at A1GP officials

A1 Team Germany’s Michael Ammermuller has reacted strongly to his disqualification from the Sprint race in Durban today.

He was judged to have caused an avoidable collision with the Netherlands’ Jeroen Bleekemolen, and the team lost sixth place as a result. The incident occurred at the final corner, when Ammermuller ran into the back of the Dutch car, spinning him round and stopping the race.

It is the fourth driving penalty Ammermuller has received in races this season, and the 22-year believes he is being treated unfairly.

‘Every time I do so something and it’s not exactly 100 per cent clear then I always get the worst penalty,’ Ammermuller said. ‘To me it looks like Germany shouldn’t win.

‘In the Feature race Australia hit me from behind when I was already in the corner and he turned me around.

‘If I got disqualified then half of the field should be disqualified this weekend.’

Ammermuller protested his innocence about the accident with Bleekemolen, and said the accident was merely a racing incident.

‘It was very difficult for me because I no space to go,’ he added. ‘He was a lot slower than me and I tried many times to overtake him. For sure he saw me coming and then he just came over and braked. He could have avoided the collision so it was a racing incident. I shouldn’t get disqualified for this.

‘I was not braking later, I was the same braking point as before. He left the door open, he tried to come in and then he moved over. I couldn’t brake because he was braking very hard and he came to the inside very late. I was already turning. Then I just hit him a little bit and spun him around. It was like when Australia shunted into me or Zaugg’s accident in the Feature.

‘It was just a little hit because he came over very late. He was braking very hard.’

Written: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:02:53