Feature: Coulthard Happy To Work For Maiden V8 Supercar Win
Brad Jones Racing has replicated its one-two qualifying form with a maiden race win for Fabian Coulthard ahead of Jason Bright in the opening 12 lap stint of the MSS Security V8 Supercars Challenge at Albert Park.
The Lockwood racing driver led the opening lap but was hampered by a safety car period early in the race when Fujitsu Racing’s Alex Premat hit the wall at turn one after making contact with the Irwin Racing AMG E63 of Lee Holdsworth exiting pit lane.
Coulthard was behind Red Bull Racing Australia’s Craig Lowndes after making his compulsory pit stop at the end of the second lap and the pair was waved past the safety car but Lowndes remained behind the safety car through turns three, four and five.
“During the safety car early in the race, Craig was in front of me when we came out of the pits and we spent three corners behind the safety car when its green lights on,” Coulthard said.
“Ideally Craig should have gone past because that’s what the rules say but it made my race more difficult than what it needed to be.”
At the resumption of racing on lap five, he proceeded to work his way forward and got past Lowdnes, team mate Bright and began to reel in race leader Shane van Gisbergen.
Coulthard was on his tail by lap eight and for the next three laps the two fought over the lead before eventually getting past on the second last lap at turn three just moments before van Gisbergen fell victim to gearbox failure.
“I had to work for it but I’m okay with that,” Coulthard said.
“It wasn’t easy but it’s more rewarding to get a race win like that when you have to work for it rather than having it gifted to you.
“It was unfortunate Shane had troubles because we were having a good battle. It was clean and fair.
“His car was stronger in some areas and mine was stronger in others and I just had to make the opportunity when I had a good run.”
According to team principal Brad Jones, the change to car of the future has been a benefit to the team.
“The boys are doing an amazing job with the cars. Fabian’s driving well and Jason is doing the same,” Jones said.
“It’s a different package all round to what we were using last year and it seems to be working well for both of them.
“I think the cars are very different with the independent rear ends, transaxles but certainly one of the things they keep talking about it how nicely balanced the cars are.”
Second placed Bright also feels that Car of the Future has levelled the field.
“I think Car of the Future has come into our favour quite a bit and we’ve made ground on the field,”
“There’s a lot of things that have gone in our favour that previously we were not quite there on.
“Our horsepower has always been there but this year the front end is better, the Holden aero kit is better so that puts us closer to FPR,” he added.
