Percat upbeat despite 'annoying' start to 2022
Nick Percat has enjoyed his new challenge despite an “annoying” start to his first Walkinshaw Andretti United season.
Percat is 13th overall after three rounds in 2022, some 10 positions behind teammate Chaz Mostert.
Mostert has scored all three wins for WAU this season, two of them coming at Albert Park.
Where Mostert has enjoyed a long established relationship with team and engineer, Percat has had to learn on the run.
Percat left behind five seasons with Brad Jones Racing to join WAU.
A top six in Sydney was followed by a tough Tasmania weekend punctuated by set-up woes across both cars.
A podium was in the offing in Melbourne before a late-race fade saw the #2 NTI Mobil 1 Commodore come home fifth.
All that remains is a first trip to the podium, something Percat believes may require a slice of luck.
“It’s been an annoying start to the year for me; things just haven’t rolled our way,” he told Supercars.com.
“We’ve been in positions to get results or even a podium, but it hasn’t worked out yet.
“But that’s motorsport; the pace overall to Chaz is okay. Overall, I am loving every minute of being back at Walkinshaw.
“The team is gelling well, and Chaz is getting good results. We just need some luck to go our way on car 2.”
Mostert has won three races this season, equalling his entire 2021 tally.
Percat and new engineer Geoffrey Slater's time together has so far been rocks and diamonds, although the 2011 Bathurst winner is remaining patient.
“AGP started well, Chaz and I were running one-two before I had to do an extra lap on my tyres,” he said.
“You lose six seconds there, and you lose track position. Like other results, it was circumstantial.
“I’ve had to adapt my style to suit the philosophy of the car, but I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.
“I’ve seen what Chaz and the team have done the last 18 months; I’ve enjoyed the challenge of learning new ways to drive the car.
“People semi-forget that a lot is new; they probably thought, ‘Nick will be with Chaz all the time’.
“Geoff and I are both new and we’re both learning the package. There’ll be days we get set-up right, and days we get it wrong.
"Us both learning means it has slowed down unlocking the speed, but it’s been refreshing not to have the same old thing.”
This weekend's round in Perth is the second of three straight circuits which haven't seen Supercars action since 2019.
Perth is sandwiched by Albert Park and Winton, which have also returned after COVID-19 layoffs.
For Percat, it has made the learning process all the more challenging, yet rewarding.
“I’ve enjoyed going to tracks we haven’t been to in a while, because we’re not set in our ways,” he said.
“In saying that, it’d be easier to start the season at tracks where our car would be traditionally quite strong.
“For example, if we started at a street track, it would’ve been great, because Walkinshaw cars generally go well.
“For me, it’s going in eyes wide open, listening to Shippy [Grant McPherson], Carl [Faux], Chaz, Adam [De Borre] and how to achieve speed.
“I’d like to think my feedback has also helped Chaz and Adam get some good results as well.
“if you’ve got two cars pushing in the same direction, you can achieve what you want much quicker."
Percat will take to Wanneroo Raceway for opening practice on Saturday.
