Stefan GP slams negative media reports

Without mentioning its failure to be granted an official entry to race in 2010, the Serbian outfit Stefan GP on Friday slammed reports that questioned the credentials of its parent company AMCO.

In two separate reports, the Cologne newspaper Express this week questioned AMCO’s claims that it worked with Germany’s Federal Defence Force (Bundeswehr) on flight drones and contributed to the European Space Agency’s orbit launch rocket Ariane 5.

Zoran Stefanovich-led Stefan GP reacted by insisting that the reports are "not founded on facts but on speculation and bad translation".

However, the English language statement was headlined as an "official demanti". ’Demanti’ is not an English-language word, but in some languages it translates as ’denial’.

Stefan denies claiming it was involved in the construction of the German military drones.

"The correct information is that one of our engineers was involved in a construction of an engine for a German company, the buyer, which turned out to be for an unmanned aircraft," said the team.

"We never stated nor did we ever imply that we worked with Bundeswehr in any form or way."

Stefan added that it has "no idea" how it was linked with the other companies named in the first Express report, which referred to photographs published on its company website.

"Illustration about capabilities of our personnel in Serbia was misunderstood and maliciously used for sensationalist journalism. Such construction of facts can only be aimed to discredit us and all the others mentioned," said the team.

Stefan GP insists that it did produce "parts for the Ariane V rocket".