Feeling good

Chaz Mostert is focussing on the positives of his return to V8 Supercars, despite a crash in Sunday’s intense rain-affected race at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

The 23-year old raced for the first time after sustaining a broken leg, wrist and knee problems in a crash at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 last year over the weekend, and hit the wall hard during the shortened Sunday outing.

He said he was physically fine despite the accident and was encouraged by his pace, which culminated in an ARMOR ALL Pole Position on Saturday afternoon, front row start on Sunday and a return to the podium when he finished third in race two.

“I’m fine, it was a bit of a negative day at the end there but I’ve shown good pace so it’s been a positive weekend,” he told v8supercars.com.au.

“It [coming back] was fantastic, the atmosphere was awesome – it always is at the Clipsal 500. I’m looking forward to coming back here next year.

“I picked up another race finish this year, I got two out of three but I really need to get three.”

Mostert has had a tough run at the Adelaide street event, having left with a bent car each year he has contested it.

“I have had a really bad strike rate here. It’s just one of those things. I wish it was just dry (on Sunday), I think we had a pretty good package car at the pointy end, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

He believed the team would not need to utilise a spare chassis for the upcoming 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. The Prodrive group will also deal with Chris Pither’s damaged chassis, which boss Tim Edwards said it wouldn’t be repaired in time for the non-championship round, which kicks off next Thursday March 17.

“There’s obviously a fair bit of damage … I don’t think we’ll need a spare car for the next round. There’s a fair bit but they will fix it,” Mostert said.

He was disappoint with the accident but described the conditions as “pretty ridiculous”.

“It’s hard enough around a street circuit, the water doesn’t really flow that well anywhere and parts of the track doesn’t really dry.

“Turn eight caught me out, it was still wet on the outside so understeered wide there which you do when you’re behind cars and just grabbed a little bit of water and she’s slowly understeered out.

“Pretty disappointing but just hard conditions – what do you do when it’s dry, wet, dry?”

Last year Mostert left the Clipsal 500 22nd in the Championship and by Sandown in September had catapulted up to second.

This time around he’s 22nd again after a post-race penalty from the stewards cost him 15 championship points.

“I locked a brake not knowing the conditions, so I tagged Rick (Kelly)… it was pretty blatant, I didn’t mean to but mistakes happen out there,” he said. 

After he and stablemate Mark Winterbottom had hard runs in Adelaide last year, they turned it up at the Grand Prix, dominating the four races. Let’s see if they can do it again in under a fortnight’s time.