War of words between Mercedes and BMW stars after costly clash
Jules Gounon, Kelvin van der Linde at odds over dramatic clash
Gounon and van der Linde collided disputing lead with 40 minutes left
Clash opened door to Maxime Martin, who won the Bathurst 12 Hour
Jules Gounon and Kelvin van der Linde are at odds over the clash that took both out of contention for Bathurst 12 Hour victory.
Late in Sunday’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Gounon looked in a strong position to claim a record-extending fourth victory, only for a Safety Car to change the complexion of the race.
Van der Linde’s #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO didn’t need to stop for fuel as others — including Gounon — topped up before a sprint home.
The #32 BMW led the #75 Mercedes-AMG to green with 40 minutes remaining, and Gounon went for it into Hell Corner. Contact sent both drivers down the order, with the #32 black flagged for damage.
Both drivers spoke to multiple media outlets after the race, and the general lines from both was consistent: Gounon claimed van der Linde’s move was “unfair,” while van der Linde claimed Gounon was impatient.
Speaking to Sportscar365, Gounon said: “He moved once on the straight, to the left, and moved back to the right.
“I thought I had my chance because I had a very good restart, and with the power of the BMW it’s very hard to pass them.
“I went for a move, he saw it, he reacted, went to the inside, but I was already on the ABS and I could do nothing other than hit him.
“For me it’s very unfair driving, and it’s such a shame to lose the win like this.”
Neither Gounon nor van der Linde were penalised for the contact.
In response, van der Linde told the same publication: “We are fighting for one of the biggest endurance races on the calendar and we took a massive risk to get our car there,” said van der Linde.
“To be honest, I expected [Gounon] to know he had fresher tires, probably a much faster car at that point in the race. I didn’t expect him to go all in on Turn 1.”
