Sutil to appeal 18-month suspended sentence

German racing driver Adrian Sutil is to appeal against his conviction for grievous bodily harm and 18-month suspended sentence, it was revealed on Wednesday.

"We are convinced that this judgment is not appropriate," Sutil's manager Manfred Zimmermann told SID, an AFP subsidiary.

"There are many things that went against us."

Last week, a district court in Munich gave the 29-year-old former Force India driver an 18-month suspended sentence and 200,000 euros fine after a brawl at a Shanghai nightclub last April.

The incident occured as Sutil celebrated in a night club after Lewis Hamilton's victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and a Lotus Renault shareholder was stabbed in the neck with a champagne glass.

After he was convicted, the German branded former friend Hamilton 'a coward' for not appearing in court to give evidence.

Zimmermann said he just wants a judgement which is "more appropriate" and the matter is likely to go before the regional court, while last week's verdict was given in a district court.

The Munich public prosecutor office is also unhappy with the verdict and will be pushing for a harsher sentence, according to a court spokeswoman.

Prosecutor Nicole Selzam believes the sentence was too lenient and wants the probation period to be extended by three months.