Tom Ingram critical of “clumsy” Rob Austin after Snetterton clash

Tom Ingram and Rob Austin had differing views on their clash in Snetterton’s first race this morning, with Ingram calling the move “late and clumsy,” with a “gutted” Austin countering that it was a pass he was entitled to make.

Handy Motorsport’s Austin attempted to pass his Speedworks Motorsport stable-mate at Agostini on lap six, with contact between the pair putting them both on the grass.

Ingram recovered his Toyota Avensis to the circuit and eventually finished eighth thanks to the high level of attrition at the front, but Austin’s car was too badly damaged to continue and retired in the pits.

Both men gave their views on the incident after the race.

“I think we had the pace to finish in the top three on the standard tyre. I knew I didn’t have to fight too hard, and just wait for Matt [Neal] to lose grip. That’s why I didn’t put a move on him as I didn’t want to take too much out of my tyres, said Ingram to TouringCarTimes.

“I started to rub my hands together as it was a case of when rather than if. But when Colin [Turkington] spun I think it opened the barn doors for the ‘ooh, there’s a podium’ mentality.

“I think that’s a little bit of what it was [with Austin]. It was a little bit of desperation, it was late, clumsy and not performed all that well. I gave him room to come down the inside, but he took his, mine and most of the people on the outside’s room for it.”

“I’m just gutted,” said Austin to TouringCarTimes. “I haven’t seen it back, but there was no intent on either party. I was clear up the inside, I did go a bit deeper than anticipated, but I was fully alongside and entitled, and he turned in and the contact broke my upright.

“Obviously there was no intent on either side, it was just unfortunate how it panned out. My car was getting stronger as their tyres were falling away, so I’m absolutely gutted.”

“We won’t get in the reverse grid from where we are,” added team principal Simon Belcher. “If we can creep into the points in this next one, that’ll be a good race, and then try and break into the top ten in Race 3.”

For his part, Ingram was more optimistic about the rest of his day.

“We were lucky. I can’t take too much from finishing in the top 10 because we were bloody lucky that we were still there. Very frustrating, but we’re looking forward with less weight on the soft tyre,” he said.