Winterbottom chasing one-lap pace

After being outdone by new teammate David Reynolds at Bathurst, Mark Winterbottom is chasing more qualifying pace from his Team 18 Camaro at Albert Park.

As Reynolds contested both Bathurst 500 Shootouts and scored a pair of top 10s, the best Winterbottom could manage was 12th, having qualified no higher than 19th.

Although “Frosty” moved up in the races, he knows one-lap pace is key at the Australian Grand Prix where the four short sprint races offer little chance of making significant ground.

“My qualifying pace was poor,” Winterbottom said. 

“So I need good qualifying pace here because that is the key. 

“Our race pace was really good at Bathurst. The car was really fast and it made sense to me. We passed seven cars in both races.

“It would be great If you can win the round, which obviously gets you the Larry Perkins Trophy.

“He is one of those guys that built our sport, the Perkins, the Moffat’s, the Johnsons, the Brocks, all those guys.

“So when you can win something that has their name attached to it, it is a little bit more special.”

Winterbottom had previous success at Albert Park before the Australian Grand Prix became a championship round.

He was unbeatable in 2015 winning all four races, while further wins in 2009 and 2012 mean his total of seven is the equal third most since Supercars started racing there in 1996.

Although F2 and F3 have taken over the pit paddock and taken Supercars spot as the second biggest show at the Australian Grand Prix, Winterbottom said Supercars still has a “purpose” at Albert Park.

“The Grand Prix is one of my favourite events,” he said.

“Although we’re not the spectacle event, we sure have a purpose here, and championship points, plus the ego of all the drivers.”

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