Why Supercars champ believes Feeney is grid's 'smartest' driver

2015 Supercars champion Mark Winterbottom has circled Broc Feeney as the gold standard among the current crop of drivers when it comes to racing intelligence.

Despite a quiet weekend by his and Triple Eight's lofty standards, Feeney still walked away from Christchurch with both the championship lead and the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

Whilst there was all manner of ill feeling up and down the pit lane after a robust weekend of racing at the tight Ruapuna, Feeney instead had heartfelt comments for his arch-rival Ryan Wood following his heartbreaking engine failure, even shaking the Kiwi's hand post-race.

Whilst it is unlikely a complete full-stop on the rivalry, it could potentially mark a turning point for two of the brightest young stars in the sport. What it means for their on-track rivalry remains to be seen.

Battle-hardened after his own heartbreak at the end of last year, Feeney has the best race finishing average of the season to date, with an average of 3.75 when he greets the chequered flag.

Staying away from headline-grabbing attention caught the eye of Winterbottom, who believes his level-headedness in 2026 has elevated a Triple Eight program that still hasn't fully unlocked the Ford Mustang package.

"He's a champion, he's got a 50-year-old head on young shoulders," said Winterbottom on The Run Home.

"He's not picking enemies, he's just doing what he needs to do. He hasn't got the fastest car, so you can't say, 'oh it's just a Triple Eight car, that's why he won it,' he is very smart.

"He picks his battles, he's not making enemies, and he's getting the job done and leading the points. I'm really impressed by what Broc Feeney has done over the last couple of weeks. He's driving very well."

Winterbottom further emphasised how impressed he is with Feeney on MotorRacing 360, highlighting how he moved to ease tensions with Wood whilst the Brodie Kostecki/Chaz Mostert collision exploded off-track.

"He's the smartest bloke in the field, I'm going to put it out there. He's the most intelligent driver, [the most] level headed person in the field.

"Everyone is fighting, at the start of the year Supercars pump up Wood vs Feeney. He stepped away, kept quiet, went about his business, he won races at Sydney.

"On the weekend, if there's a Triple Eight/Walkinshaw rivalry, [Will] Brown and Chaz [Mostert] have taken over the force there.

"He's just doing his thing, he's kissed and made up with Ryan Wood, he hasn't had contact."

Winterbottom knows all too well what it takes to get big wins, first getting the upper hand over long-time rival Jamie Whincup at the 2013 Bathurst 1000, before arguably an even bigger crowning glory came two years later.

In a season where Whincup struggled to fire in the opening half of the season, Winterbottom took full toll to claim his only title. Winterbottom hardly ruffled a feather on his road to the championship, something which he believes Feeney is looking to emulate.

"[To] win a championship, you don't have enemies, and Broc Feeney on the weekend, he has no enemies at the moment," Winterbottom added.

"He's just cruising along, he's the duck. The feet are going, he's just cruising along and everyone else is blowing up.

"To win a championship, you need allies. That's why I'm saying he's one of the smartest guys in the field."