Van Gisbergen: Feeney improvement critical for 2023

Increased performance from Broc Feeney is crucial to Triple Eight’s first-year Gen3 hopes, says Shane van Gisbergen.

Van Gisbergen dominated the 2022 season with 21 wins, with rookie Feeney getting up to speed.

Feeney ended the year with a brilliant win in Adelaide in what proved the last race of the Gen2 era.

Come 2023, and all teams and drivers will be armed with new cars — a situation last seen in 2013.

The final years of the Gen2 era saw teams still developing their cars, and van Gisbergen made the most of it in 2021 and 2022.

Van Gisbergen admitted he missed being pushed by Jamie Whincup, who retired at the end of 2021.

Last year, van Gisbergen beat Feeney in the race head-to-head 30-4, and scored 59 per cent of Triple Eight’s points.

'With the new car — we need to push each other'

This year, everyone has a clean slate — and van Gisbergen knows both drivers must perform should Triple Eight stay at the pointy end with Gen3.

"It's been great working with Broc,” van Gisbergen said after winning the 2022 title.

"He's been getting better and better. Sometimes I miss getting pushed by [Whincup].

“But Broc out-qualified me [in Adelaide], so there's always something to learn.

"Even if I'm faster sometimes, there's one corner [Feeney] does randomly, because he had no preconceived ideas, and it's faster. So I have to adapt to that.

"It's been good to learn from him. With him getting faster and faster, hopefully we're pushing each other next year.

"Next year is going to be super important with the new car — we need to push each other to develop it.

Van Gisbergen won the head-to-head 30-4

"I'm glad he got a year in a well-sorted car before next year.”

Both drivers have stayed sharp in the off-season; van Gisbergen has turned to speedway, while Feeney attended a training camp in Austria.

Feeney has also returned to the seat of his kart, and is clocking up the hours at Norwell Motorplex.

The 20-year-old was optimistic when asked if he could mount a title challenge in his sophomore year: "I’d like to hope so, but it’s small steps at a time.

"No one knows what’s going to happen next year yet… we go to Gen3 and it’s a big reset for everyone.

"I’m sure we’re all hoping that we can challenge next year but maybe it’s someone we’re not even thinking about, so we’ll wait and see.

"It’s certainly a good way to end the year, though, and I’ve got the experience of leading a race now, and got the first win emotions out of the way.”

Teams will begin testing their first Gen3 cars on January 30 (Queensland Raceway) and February 1 (Winton).

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.

Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.