Stanaway opens up on first PremiAir day

Seated in a PremiAir Racing Chevrolet Camaro, only good memories came flooding back for Richie Stanaway.

On Wednesday, the New Zealander checked in with his new team on the Gold Coast, meeting new staff and getting acquainted with his new Supercar.

For Stanaway, it was a return to familiarity, given his PremiAir Camaro was build by Triple Eight Race Engineering, with whom he won the 2023 Bathurst 1000.

Before he joined Penrite Racing, Stanaway took out the 2023 Great Race with countryman Shane van Gisbergen and Red Bull Ampol Racing.

Come January 2025, and Stanaway returned to the saddle of a Triple Eight-built car, something which only helped fast-track his comfort with his new team.

"The team's on the way up, so it's a great time to be joining them. I'm really excited to see how we can go this year,” Stanaway told Supercars.com.

“Every team's slightly different, I've driven for a few now. It’s just about learning everyone's names and figuring out what everyone does, and just learning all the new processes.”

When asked if returning to the seat of a Triple Eight-built Chevrolet comes with benefits, Stanaway said: "Yeah, it does. It did feel nice to sit back in a Camaro, and have the memories from 2023 flooding back in.

“It's nice to have that familiarity with the car, and there is a slight difference in philosophy between the two cars. I’m looking forward to driving it for the first time and getting the feel for it back again.”

Stanaway’s end of 2024 was more turbulent than most, with the Kiwi forced to lay low for a short period after sustaining a concussion in a heavy impact at the season-ending VAILO Adelaide 500.

Undeterred by the injury, Stanaway put major focus on fitness and time in the simulator, to ensure he was in the best shape possible come race day in Sydney on February 21.

“I just had to take it easy for a while after Adelaide,” he said on the concussion.

"Apart from that, I was fine. I just stayed in Melbourne and focused a lot on training and did a lot of simulator work."

Stanaway, who has replaced the retired Tim Slade, has been working closely contact with PremiAir engineering boss Ludo Lacroix ahead of the new season, which will be his fourth full Supercars season with as many teams.

Like the majority of his rivals, Stanaway will only get a day at Sydney Motorsport Park under his belt before hitting the track for race day. However, having completed a full season in 2024, he isn’t perturbed by the lack of seat time before Race 1.

“I mean, I wouldn't mind an extra test day, but at the same time, I'm a big fan of the new format and the limited testing,” Stanaway said.

"There's only so much you can really gain from private testing when we're not developing the cars. We're simply just making set-up changes at the events. It's more about the execution during an event that makes the difference.

“To be honest, I don't really need private testing anymore, having just done a full season last year. I feel like I'm not lacking seat time. I just need to get in and get on with it. So, I'm happy with the running I'll get before the first race.”