Following comments made by Jason Plato after his exclusion from round ten of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton last Sunday, his team SEAT Sport UK has this evening issued the following statement.

It read: "Following reports in the media regarding SEAT Sport UK's exclusion from round ten of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton (Sunday 18 May), the team would like to make clear that it understands and fully accepts the decision of the race officials.

"Some verbal comments were made by Jason Plato immediately after round ten when the full detail of events weren't entirely clear to him at the time.

"SEAT Sport UK wishes to unreservedly withdraw those remarks. We acknowledge that the regulations were correctly applied, that the appropriate penalty was imposed and apologise for any embarrassment to the Championship and its officials, or for any confusion, that those initial comments may have caused.

"SEAT Sport UK will not make any further comment on this subject and looks forward to continuing to work closely with the BTCC to develop the growing popularity of Britain's premier motor sport series."

Having crossed the line in third position, Plato was excluded from round ten when his SEAT Leon TDI failed a post-race ride-height check.

He will go into the BTCC's next three rounds - at Croft in North Yorkshire on 1 June - lying second in the current championship standings, 18 points behind Vauxhall driver Fabrizio Giovanardi.