Mostert puts his hand up for Payne clash

Chaz Mostert has apologised for his incident with Matt Payne that took both Fords out of the lead for the second Supercars race in a row.

One race after Payne and Cam Waters clashed fighting for the win, the #19 Penrite Racing again lost the lead through an incident.

This time it was with the #25 Walkinshaw Andretti United Mustang of Mostert at the fast turn 9.

The two Fords were pushing the limits fighting hard at the front of the field but unfortunately for the “Blue Oval” brigade came to blows.

Mostert was under the wing of Payne as they charged down Lakeside Drive but the #25 Mustang locked up on approach to the rapid left hander. 

As a result Mostert could not avoid making contact with the back of the #19 Mustang, sending both Fords spearing off into the grass and gifting the lead to a Camaro once again.

Mostert was dealt with a 5s penalty from the stewards almost immediately due to “a breach of Schedule B2 Article 2.1.1 Careless Driving.”

Mostert admitted he made an error and apologised to the Payne and the Penrite Racing team post race in the paddock. 

“Huge apologies to Matty Payne, the whole team at Grove and all their fans,” Mostert said. 

“We were racing for sheep stations out there and I was chasing him down into 9 and with the aero and cold tyre there I just pinched the front.

“As we have seen over the years if you do that at 9 you generally go for an excision.

“I did my best to try and find that gap with the fence to miss him but sadly I tagged him which put us back from there.

“Huge apologies. Not whole I like to go and it was a mistake.”

With the penalty Mostert still came home fifth to collect enough points to keep hold of third in the championship.  

“I felt like we were at the pointy end and we might have been able to hold on, but after that mistake it made it pretty hard,” he said.

“I still think the front guys had a little bit more than us so we will just reassess.

“We have a very good car under us and have at least been able to see the front of the field which we didn’t do a lot last year.”

Image by Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

Supercars Australian Grand Prix schedule

Thursday, March 21

Practice 1: 1: M. Jones 2: M. Payne 3: C. Waters

Practice 2: 1 B. Feeney 2: C. Waters 3: A. De Pasquale

Qualifying R3 Qualifying R4 Poles B. Feeney, C. Waters

Race 3: 1: B. Feeney 2: W. Brown 3: M. Payne

Friday, March 22

Race 4 (20 laps): 1: W. Brown 2: M. Winterbottom 3: M. Payne

Saturday, March 23

Qualifying R5: 1: M. Payne 2: C. Waters 3: C. Mostert

Qualifying R6: 1: C. Mostert 2: M. Payne 3: C. Waters

Race 5 (14 laps): 1: B. Feeney 2: W. Brown 3: C. Mostert

Sunday, March 24

Race 6 (14 laps): 1: N. Percat 2: W. Brown 3: B. Feeney

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