Winterbottom's promise to Schwerkolt

Mark Winterbottom has spoken of his desperation to bring home a win for team boss Charlie Schwerkolt after poor luck in Darwin.

The 2015 champion has admitted he was angry over the electrical fault that brought his Race 12 front row start undone.

The #18 IRWIN Racing driver was despondent following Saturday’s opening race of the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

The 40-year-old finished nine laps down following a chain of events which ruined his best chance yet of a maiden Team 18 win.

WATCH: WINTERBOTTOM DEVASTATED AFTER CRASH

Winterbottom kicked off the season with two top 10 finishes in the Repco Mt Panorama 500 season opener.

However, six finishes outside the top 10 since has seen him at risk of dropping to seventh at next weekend's NTI Townsville 500.

Reflecting on the weekend at Hidden Valley Raceway, Winterbottom conceded it was a "missed opportunity".

“We missed a big opportunity in Darwin on the weekend,” Winterbottom told Supercars.com.

“You’re just gutted sometimes.

"This sport, we prepare, we’ve done two weeks on the road, we had a build-up that we sacrificed a bit to get there, so, the build-up was quite tense.

“You get there you do the job, you get on the front row, next to a guy that you're pretty confident, without sounding arrogant, that I would beat off the line and hustle into Turn 1. Then you roll up to the line and it all blacks out.

“Saturday I was just angry after the race to be honest and not angry at someone, just angry at the situation.

“Something doesn’t want me to win, it feels like.”

WATCH: BEST OVERTAKES AT HIDDEN VALLEY

After a strong launch, Winterbottom was forced to move off to the right as the field passed him by.

He rejoined the pack, only to be caught up in the pile-up which also implicated pole-sitter Anton De Pasquale.

Winterbottom recovered on Sunday; he qualified fourth and eighth, and finished fifth and seventh in the two races.

However, they weren't the resultshe wanted.

“I’m so desperate to win a race for this team and that was a ripper chance,” Winterbottom said.

“I know when I’m on and I know when I’m not, and we were on and looking good for that one.

“But you’ve got to reset, there’s no use dropping the lip because you turn up Sunday and you get two more chances at it.

“It’s good that you're disappointed, angry, upset because it means something.

“It’s coming, it's definitely coming.”

Winterbottom scored his first pole for Team 18 in 2019

Winterbottom has shown glimpses of pace at every stop this season, but silverware continues to prove elusive.

His 2021 qualifying pace has been a standout, with Winterbottom qualifying in the top 10 on all bar four occasions.

Townsville presents an opportunity for Winterbottom; he has scored four wins, 10 podiums and four poles at the North Queensland circuit.

There, he will continue his commitment to claiming a win for loyal team boss Schwerkolt.

“I just I hate saying someone deserves it as I think that’s a word that gets used and thrown out there a lot,” he said.

“But I have a boss and a team that work ridiculously hard.

Winterbottom and Schwerkolt in Tasmania in 2019.

“Charlie in particular, he puts so much into this team, he wants win, and I can feel it.

“I want to win, we all want to win, so you’re desperate, you’re hungry, you’re motivated.

“They are all words that show how hungry you are... we will get there, it will come, we’ve come close.

“I’m a man of my word, I’ve got to stick to it and get him wins. That’s what it’s about.”

The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to North Queensland for the NTI Townsville 500 across July 9-11. Tickets are available here.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo, and will be broadcast live and free on Seven.