Mostert: van Gisbergen move 'a little bit cheeky'

Chaz Mostert has branded Shane van Gisbergen’s late Race 2 move at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 “a little bit cheeky”.

Van Gisbergen overhauled Mostert for the lead in the closing laps of Sunday’s finale.

Mostert led the balance of the race, having cleared pole-sitter David Reynolds on the run to Turn 1.

Van Gisbergen chased down Mostert in the final stint of the race, and at Turn 9, the two clashed disputing the lead.

The #97 Red Bull Ampol Racing driver was on 12-lap fresher tyres, with the move unsettling Mostert’s #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang.

Mostert returned serve at Turn 11, but on younger tyres, van Gisbergen drove away to a 4.4s victory.

It came just hours after van Gisbergen was rubbed out of the Race 1 result due to a technical breach.

Speaking after the race, van Gisbergen said he did his “talking on the track” having crossed the chequered flag first twice in two days.

Mostert, who will carry the championship lead to the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint, conceded van Gisbergen would likely have passed him anyway.

"Yeah, look at it’s obviously the smallest amount of overlap there," Mostert said.

"But these cars are quite hard to see. But if it was me in that position, I probably would have got out of it a little bit earlier and started to turn in, but anyway, it is what it is.

"Obviously they’re looking at it — I’m not even sure, but it’s cheeky, but I’m sure he probably would have got me anyway, but I would at least like to have a crack to defend."

Mostert leads Brodie Kostecki by 45 points heading to Albert Park, with Cam Waters 58 points behind in third. Van Gisbergen is 11th, 126 points down.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint on March 30-April 2.