Motorbase boss blasts Jason Plato for Knockhill outburst

Motorbase Performance Team Principal David Bartrum has launched a scathing attack on Jason Plato, responding to the two-time champion’s outburst at Knockhill last weekend against the team’s driver Aron Smith, and Triple Eight’s appeal that Smith’s penalty wasn’t enough.

In the first race at Knockhill, Aron Smith and Jason Plato made contact at Clark’s on the second lap of the race which left Plato in the gravel. After which, Plato threatened to take action and try and have the 22-year-old’s racing licence taken away for dangerous driving.

Smith believed the error was Plato’s, with the Triple Eight MG driver having cut across the track twice, but the team had decided to accept the three point penalty and £500 fine handed down by the stewards. Since then, Plato’s Triple Eight team have lodged a protest, arguing that penalty that was handed out was not enough.

In a statement on the team’s official site, David Bartrum spelled out his surprise in Triple Eight’s decision to appeal, and the size of the penalty which was already given out by the stewards at the race meeting.

“I was disappointed in the penalty which TOCA gave us because we’ve been on the receiving end of nearly identical incidents with Aron & Rob Austin in round 1, TOCA verdict – racing incident; Liam (Griffin) & Lea Wood at Croft, TOCA verdict – racing incident. Someone does it to Plato, TOCA verdict – 3 points & a £500 fine. Is it because it’s Plato? Maybe, who knows? With that in mind when we heard that 888 & Plato had appealed we were surprised, turns out Jason wanted more! He even suggested that Aron had a job to do on him! What can you say to this? Paranoid maybe?”

Bartrum then questions Plato’s standing in regards to protesting about driving standards, referring to a number of incidents in the last few months:
“He remains the most outspoken; shouting his mouth of to anyone who will listen about how badly everyone else drives! Sorry, am I missing something? Is this the same Jason Plato who rammed Matt Neal off in a fit of rage/revenge at Snetterton? The same Jason Plato who rammed Gordon Shedden of at the last corner of Donington after pushing him along the back straight whilst Gordon tried to brake? And the same Jason Plato who simply disposed of Dave Newsham disgracefully at the first race of the season? And that’s just this year. He has been one incident away from a three month ban for a little while due to his own indiscretions on track in the last 12 months. Pot and kettle spring to mind!”

Responding to Plato’s comment that Smith’s racing licence should be taken away, Bartrum retorts:
“Quite frankly, he is the man who needs banning from the championship. Why TOCA didn’t give him points for his revenge mission at Snetterton on Matt Neal is anybody’s guess! Probably because he has so many points already. ”

“How he keeps a job with the BRDC is beyond me. He is a Director in the most influential club in British Motorsport; he is in a role which people need to respect him and look upon his as someone who sets an example of how a race driver conducts himself both on and off the circuit. In my opinion he does neither! It’s a joke that they have someone with such low regard for fellow competitors and young drivers in such a position. It’s hypocritical. There is a new young driver programme which he is fronting. He then accuses Aron of being ‘a pretender’ because he pays for his drive. Will that be the same for all the drivers under his management who are paying for their drive? I doubt it, I’m sure he will change his mind then! Quite frankly no driver having been mentored by him would be welcome in a race car of mine.”

Bartrum does however reserve some praise for Plato’s driving ability, suggesting the incident at the weekend was an error in judgement from Plato.
“All of that said I do respect his driving ability. He is clearly very talented. He also puts on a great show for the public, who seemingly love a bad boy. Maybe we’re just another part of his show this week.”

“I just think if he kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself the world would be better for it. I can only assume, and half understand that Aron is on the receiving end of his passion from the reality that Jason’s Championship received a massive dent at the weekend due to him making a mistake of his own by drifting over into Aron, giving Aron very few options. Jason made the uncharacteristic error in which he lost out, something he doesn’t do very often. I think most drivers would have driven exactly how Aron did, and the others probably would have ended up in the gravel themselves!”

The full statement can be read here