Muller vs. Plato: 2005

[touringlegend]

Already the mind games and tactics have started at Thruxton today, Muller plainly refusing to pass Plato when he held up his hand and admitted he'd made a mistake in passing Yvan under the SC which he didn't realise was out.


Muller says his team told him not to go back pass Plato (therefore Plato was dealt a drive through penalty).

Plato, meanwhile says Vauxhall and Muller have spent too much time worrying about him, and not even noticing the pace of the Team Dynamics Integras.

I am sure we haven't heard the last about the Race 3 incident today for a long while!!

[jim69]

Muller is playing mind games. If he cant compete fair and square he should get out.
The series is suffering enough, 11 cars is a Joke.
The last thing it needs, allegedly, is clowns like Muller playing childish games.
Grow up and race on the track.

[John Winter]

One might almost think Monsieur Muller is a bit dissapointed that he doesn't have the best car on the grid anymore. It's truly outrages ofcourse that he actually has to work now to win races, not to mention become a champion :')

[Hazard]

Adds a bit of fun. Muller & Plato never got on, clearly even in 2001, but then they were getting their pay cheque from the same team then.

Muller's move wasn't childish...almost got dangerous that I'll give, but he wasn't in the wrong not retaking the place if the clerk hadn't ordered that as Plato's penalty.

[rdjones]

Muller was not happy with Jason after race 2 and he said over the PA that something needs to be done about him.

[The Bear]

Muller was quite right not to overtake Plato while the safety car was out, that is the rule. The safety car is used to prevent drivers or marshalls from getting hit after an incident and anyone ignoring or not noticing the SC signs is a danger to all. Plato broke the rule and you cannot blame Muller for that. I had to laugh at Plato in his interview after the race, he was acting like a spoilt child! Is that the same Jason Plato who said last season that any teams that didn't use the rules to their advantage were stupid?

[Bob Clarke]

Saw the race from the inside of the track, Yellow flag WAS shown just after the start/finish line and Plato passed Muller at that point. Rules are rules "In the interest of safety drivers will be penalised"

[John Winter]

At the point where Plato overtook Muller into the complex, the marshalls on the right side of the track were not waving any flags, as can be seen on tv footage. Therefor it's not entirely incomprehensible that Plato made this mistake, because he was on the rights side of Muller. I don't know if the marshalls on the left side of the track were waiving any flags, cause there was no footage of that on TV.

Saying Muller was right not to pass him back, eventhough Plato made a mistake, is rather childish in my opinion. It's probably not the first time something like this happens in motorsport and there would absolutely be no danger in repassing Plato, because Plato was litterly standing still. I think Muller has shown he's not a sportive kind of guy and he confirms the preconception there is about the French.

[+ its a Chevy]

the last few posts here sum most of it up. WHilst both drivers are undoubtably talented and both have solid drives beneath them, Muller is an arrogant **** at times and Plato is getting more self-important by the minute. They're both as bad as each other. Yes, Plato made a mistake and the technical answer is punishment but on the other hand Muller could have easily re-passed and let it be - however he chose to use the rules to his advantage however un-gentlemanly it may be......

[Craig]

Think everyone is missing the point really (including Jason) in an attempt to try and make Yvan look bad. Jason PASSED under a yellow/safety car/whatever and in doing so he broke the rules. Just cos he comes to a grinding stop doesn't allow other drivers to pass him as they see fit. I used to be a big fan of Yvan but he's become too big headed for my liking recently however, in this instance, he did right. You can imagine the whinging from the Seat garage if Jason was penalised for passing under a yellow... "well Yvan did it as well so surely he should be penalised...?"

[Les]

Quite agree Craig - in this case Muller was totally right. As for JP saying he didn't see the flags - what about the radio or was there no-one in the garage watching the race.

I also did not like the tap coming up the hill - that lacked finesse but Muller's recovery was great to watch.

I can see plenty more fireworks from those two happening.

[Adam43]

On the general point they are as bad as each other.
On the specific point I too feel that Plato has nothing to complain about.

The tap. There have been some great pictures of it!

[Martin Haven]

YAWN... so Yvan or Pluto will beat, what, 5 other decent-ish cars???

Big deal...

Send them all WTCC and let's quit the petty bleating...

[BootsOntheSide]

I know that if you pass someone by cutting a chicane, but then concede the position immediately, there is no penalty as no advantage was gained. I believe the distinction is that such a move may not be safe when the field is bunching for the Safety Car, but even tehn, neither was Muller's refusal to take the place when Plato moved over for him. What if that had caught out a driver behind, and caused them to crash at high speed? At the very elast it was unsporting from Yvan, at worst it was downright unfair.

I feel sorry for the fact that Martin Haven has missed out on doing the lucrative BTCC coverage in favour of someone good enough not to be buried doing commentary on satellite TV.

[touringlegend]

Martin - I know you will most definitely be biased but I reckon your comment is very unfair.

By my reckoning we have 9 or 10 cars that can win in the BTCC. The WTCC is pretty level with that I feel.

Back on topic - Plato said in today's coverage Muller went to the stewards to complain that Plato tapped him coming into the chicane and the stewards "laughed in his face". I do tend to agree it was more a case of Muller moving in front of Plato rather than Jason tapping Yvan.

[E. Becclestone]

I don't think that Martin Haven has missed out at all.....he's doing the WTCC commentary for Speed- a much larger TV audience, bigger grids, & some will agree, better competition.