DATA STRUGGLES FOR VAN GISBERGEN

Data struggles for Shane van Gisbergen – Image: InSyde Media

A reassessment of his driving overnight set-up Shane van Gisbergen’s victory in the opening race of the season at Bathurst.

By HEATH McALPINE

Van Gisbergen admitted he struggled to adjust to the limited data provided to him in the cockpit as he adjusted suitably to take the opening 250km encounter by 1.4s ahead of Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert.

One of these changes has been the implementation of a single lock-up light, compared to the half-lock and full lock-up lights in previous seasons has forced van Gisbergen to adapt.

“Not much to the car, but plenty to the driver,” van Gisbergen declared post-race.

“I kept making little mistakes, there are a few little differences or niceties that we don’t have on the dash with the lock-up lights and stuff. We’re only allowed one stage instead of two, the pre-lock comes on and I’m just not reacting in the right way.

“I kept coming into the corner and I normally like to have the lock-up light on a little bit as I turn in. I kept turning in and having understeer, I looked in the mirror and I’ve got a bushfire behind and wondering what was happening behind me.

“It’s just adjusting to those things and learning what the limit is.

“I’ll get better at it.”

Yesterday’s win marks two victories in a row for van Gisbergen in the championship and at Mount Panorama after taking last year’s season finale, the Bathurst 1000 pairing with Garth Tander.

The Kiwi emphasised the improvements made approaching the opening race were due to the adjustments he made in his driving technique.

“Just adjusting the mind and getting used to that now,” said van Gisbergen.

“Certainly, this morning I was putting the laps together much better in the car and there wasn’t much of a set-up change, it was all in me.

He praised new engineer David Cauchi for seamlessly fulfilling the role, which was vacated by Grant MacPherson during the off-season, who will take up the head of performance role at WAU once his ‘gardening leave’ is complete.

“It’s been awesome with (David) Cauchi just learning and trying to get the right things out of the car,” van Gisbergen said.

“He’s doing a really good job, it’s awesome to be a part of.”

Last year, brake temperature and g-force sensors were removed from the cars as Supercars clamped down on the amount of data teams used. This further extended to delaying the release of the category data logger and providing teams with only basic data channels during events.

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