Verbals traded after clash between Austin and Neal

Rob Austin and Matt Neal had very few kind words for each other after their untidy clash in Croft’s final race, with the Audi driver pledging to report Neal to the MSA, and the Honda man calling Austin a “maniac”.

The pair were eliminated from the race in an accident with Warren Scott, when the three were side-by-side into the opening two corners, and all ended up in the wall.

Austin was out on the spot, while Neal limped back to the pits and into retirement with front and rear damage. Team BMR boss Scott was able to continue and finish 17th.

Neither man was in the mood for holding back as the dust settled on a chaotic weekend, with Austin labelling Neal’s move “disgusting” and Neal calling the Audi pilot an “idiot”.

Both gave their take on the incident to TouringCarTimes.

Austin said: “We both started from the back of the grid, and he barged his way past me. I thought ‘whatever’, because I’ve raced against him before and I thought I’d be better following him through, as he’s more forceful than me.

“I think Matt tried to fire Warren Scott off at the last hairpin, and they were side by side. I had a nice clean run on both of them. I gave him a push down the straight to help him down the inside, and when we got to the corner, Matt went in deep and I had a nice clean line.

“I braked nice and early and sailed past both of them on the better line. I was 90 per cent past and turning right. The next thing I know I was getting a belt on my left rear and he kept his foot in until I was in the wall.

“I love the BTCC, I think it’s the best championship in the world. But that’s not what it’s about. I’ll take it to the MSA. It isn’t on – it’s disgusting.

“I’ve already had a word with the clerk of the course. Whatever it takes, because that is not on. That is not what the BTCC is about.”

“I got thrown to the back for race three, and you’re back with the maniacs,” said Neal to TouringCarTimes. “It was probably about the fifth or sixth time he’d clobbered me at some point on my car.

“On the straight he’s got so much boost, he just drives into you in a straight line. He doesn’t lift. He doesn’t care, because he’s not got a straight panel on his car.

“I had Warren Scott on my outside and I thought ‘right, we’re going to go two around here, and I’ve got the inside for two. No problem.’

“I was watching Rob Austin in my rear-view mirror and just as we’re about to hit the brakes at 125mph, he just goes bang and hits me hard. He takes me wide, and pushes me into Warren, so then he’s on the inside heading into turn two. But there’s a tyre stack on the apex, so we’re not going to get round.

“He moves over on me, I’ve got nowhere to go and I’m sandwiched between them.

“He should be figure-of-eight racing – he’s an absolute idiot. He thinks it’s funny. He started without a straight panel on his car, and it’s almost like he wants to dent as many other cars as he can. And I’m a big scalp. They should start smacking some points on his licence.”

Despite the strength of feeling from both drivers, the incident was not included in the lengthy list of penalties handed out by the stewards after race three.