Title twist as Randle red flag leaves Brown buried

Championship leader Will Brown will have his work cut out for him this afternoon, after a late red flag in the second segment of Boost Mobile Qualifying ruined his fast lap.

Thomas Randle spun down the length of the pit straight after dipping onto the wet grass, before gently nosing into the wall and the gravel at the outside of Turn 1.

Brown has just set his personal best first sector as Randle had his spin, with the red flags coming out with less than a minute left in the session, bringing a premature end to segment two.

Brown was back in 16th after his first lap, but will start from 15th after Randle had his fastest lap invalidated for causing a red flag.

To make matters worse, Brown’s championship rivals Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney both made the third segment of qualifying, with Mostert to start from fifth.

Brown’s Red Bull teammate Feeney will start from pole position, and is in prime position to slash the deficit to both Brown and Mostert.

“Yeah it’s a bit disappointing, we were trending really well but that happens, red flags you know,” said the championship leader.

“Didn’t get a lap in there at the end, we would’ve been in the top ten but that’s life, so we just have to do a good job this arvo and bank some points.”

15th is Brown’s worst qualifying result since Sunday in Townsville, where he started 17th before tangling with David Reynolds on the opening lap and finishing last.

When asked whether that would play on his mind in a frantic opening lap through the tight opening corners at Symmons Plains, the Toowoomba product insists nothing will change his intentions.

“There’s no way to attack it, you just have to go through there and see what happens on the other side," Brown explained.

“We just have to build into it this afternoon, it’s actually a fair few laps around here, 55 laps, hopefully we have a fast car and we can just pick through them.”

In the Tickford garage, a frustrated Randle was also left to rue missing what could’ve been a transfer into the final segment of Boost Mobile Qualifying.

“I’m just glad the car is in one piece, it was the smallest of hits,” Randle said on the broadcast.

“I’m just sorry for the whole team, I was pushing pretty hard, the lap was looking pretty good, it was probably a top six lap, but you’ve got to cross the line to get that lap.”

Eventual pole-sitter Feeney may have inadvertently played a role in Randle’s spin, slotting in between the two Tickford cars as he commenced what would’ve been his final flying lap.

Randle added: “I just dropped a wheel out of [Turn] 7, which is easy to do, I think Feeney bailed on his lap, and he let Cam [Waters] through, but then I was sorta right behind him and I just understeered off.

“The car will be fine, but we probably won’t be using those tyres again.”

This afternoon’s race at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint will begin at 4:10pm AEST.