WAU hit by double DNF and eye championship
By Andrew Clarke
Date posted: 15 October 2025
Walkinshaw Andretti United left Mount Panorama gutted after both of its Mustangs failed to finish the 2025 Bathurst 1000, with separate engine failures ending what had shaped as a strong challenge.
Despite the heartbreak, especially with the Ryan Wood/Jayden Ojeda car, which was a contender in the closing stages, team principal Carl Faux says the squad remains upbeat heading into the Supercars finals, with both drivers still firmly in the title fight.
“It’s not your day, eh?” Faux said with a grin. “Two engine problems in the biggest race of the year is tough to swallow, really tough to swallow. They were completely unrelated problems.”
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WAU’s day began with promise. Fabian Coulthard had the #25 Mustang running strongly in the dry, while Wood and Ojeda were among the best of the Fords once the rain arrived. But when Coulthard brought the car in for a driver change to Chaz Mostert, an engine issue surfaced on the in-lap.
Mostert then ground to a halt on Mountain Straight, before joining some campers for a beer.
“It was a shame,” Faux said. “Everyone knows we haven’t got the straight-line speed, but when the rain comes, that evens things out a bit and lets the teams and drivers shine. Jayden was great, absolutely fantastic. We didn’t get to see the #25 in the wet, but Fabian’s pace in his first stint showed it would’ve been right in the mix.”
While running second and behind a Safety Car, Wood’s car dropped off song and he had to limp into the pits on the starter motor. The team fought to get Wood and Ojeda’s car back on track, but they couldn’t get to the problem component, partly due to the heat and partly because of the design.
“This place is brutal, the highs and lows can all happen in one day,” Faux said. “But I’m so proud of the guys. They never stopped working. We knew what the problem was with Ryan’s car, and they threw themselves at it in the heat trying to fix it. They didn’t give up until there was no choice. That relentlessness is what makes this team what it is.”
The issues first appeared under Safety Car, Faux explained. “It popped up just before the restart. We could see what it was on the data, but getting to the connector or the sensor is tougher than it should be. You can only do what you can in that situation.”
Image: Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography
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