Mostert explains van Gisbergen clash

Chaz Mostert has recounted his Race 33 clash with Shane van Gisbergen, which dropped the latter down the order.

Mostert — who went on to win the race — was sixth after the first restart on lap 41.

Van Gisbergen — who had started 25th — was directly behind and mounted an attack on the #25.

The champion-elect got a run on Mostert to Turn 6, and elected to go around the outside.

The two cars made side-to-side contact, and van Gisbergen nosed into the barrier.

Mostert carried on, while van Gisbergen rejoined 21st.

Speaking after the race, Mostert claimed van Gisbergen would have done the same had the roles been reversed.

“I was wobbling around – it was really hard after the Safety Car to clean the tyres up,” Mostert said.

"I was pretty vulnerable, the first lap… Shane was all over me.

"I just made sure I kept staying to the inside, when he was trying to drive up around the outside of me.

“He did have a run from [Turn] 5 up to 6 to get decent overlap in front of me.

“But I was going to make sure I could make him stay as wide as possible, because that’s what he would do to me.”

The incident was investigated, but no further action was taken.

The stewards’ report reads: "An Incident involving contact between Car 1, Shane van Gisbergen, and Car 25, Chaz Mostert, at Turn 6 on Lap 41 following which Car 1 collided with the tyre barrier at the exit of Turn 6.

"Broadcast footage revealed that Car 25 which was on the inside of Car 1 at Turn 6 was alongside Car 1.

"The front wheels of Cars 1 and 25 interlocked as they both turned in for the Turn spearing Car 1 off the racing line.

"No Driver was wholly or predominantly to blame and the matter was not referred to the Stewards.”

Van Gisbergen would later crash on his own at Turn 11 while back in the back.

Mostert, who took his first win since Darwin, believes van Gisbergen would have passed him later on.

“Once I saw him go off, I was like, ‘That sucks for him,’ but that’s what was happening,” Mostert continued.

“That’s what you needed to do is get on that clean line.

“Even though I was wobbling around, and he probably would have got me if I kept wobbling around and didn’t clean the tyres up, that was the outcome of the race.”

Cars will return on Sunday for ARMOR ALL Qualifying at 11:00am local time.

The 12:05pm Shootout will complete the grid for the 2:45pm Race 34.