Brown clarifies Triple Eight Christchurch team orders call

2024 Supercars champion Will Brown has clarified the Triple Eight team orders situation that headlined Triple Eight’s Race 11 run in Christchurch.

Red Bull Ampol Racing ended the ITM NZ Double Header atop both championships, with Broc Feeney seizing the drivers’ lead.

It was Brown, however, who finished ahead in the weekend’s second race, despite starting behind Feeney in the 120km sprint.

Brown took two tyres versus Feeney’s three, while Feeney was also delayed due to a rattle gun issue. The grip advantage for Feeney triggering radio messages between both cars, leading to commentary on the broadcast and in sections of the media post-race.

Ryan Wood ultimately led home Brown and Feeney, who was unable to make enough of an impression to force Brown’s hand.

Post-race, Triple Eight Team Manager Mark Dutton explained to media that Brown hadn’t disobeyed team orders.

Team orders are allowed in Supercars. Per rules, teams are allowed to order their cars to reposition on track, and can also sacrifice one to help the other on strategy. But the call must come from the team, and the team alone.

"We took two tyres, Broc took [three], and I got up to fourth and I was actually pretty good in the second stint,” Brown said on his Lucky Dogs podcast.

"So I started to get going and they said to me — we have team orders, everyone has team orders out there — Broc took four, if he can get back to Woody and pass Woody, he would've gained a position from where he was.

"I was just going about my race, we just did the two tyres. I was driving around and they're like, if Broc gets to you, just make it easy for him and let him go and try and get Woody. I was fine with [the call].

"When [Feeney] got closer, I'm like, well, I'm going to have to lose a second-and-a-half here probably in my race to allow him to get the position. But then he's probably not going to get Woody because he doesn't have the speed to get me.

"So how's [Feeney] going to get Woody then? You're sort of gifting him a position at that stage because their strategy didn't work out like our strategy.”

As it was for Kai Allen in the Friday race — the Penrite Racing driver taking two tyres, and beating Brodie Kostecki, who took four — Brown managed to deliver a result with a supposed grip disadvantage.

“Our team would say this, we don't force either of us to make a strategy. Like Marty [Short, Feeney’s engineer] chose the strategy of doing four tyres. We chose the strategy of doing two tyres,” Brown said.

“In that race, our strategy worked out better. It's not that we didn't listen to team orders. It was like when [Feeney] got there, I was like, well, I don't really think I need to let him past. He's not on me. He never got to my rear bar at any stage.

“The team was fine with it. I think I didn't disobey team orders like Dutto came out [in the media]. They said, when Broc gets here, let him past. And he never actually got to me. I was actually fast enough to drive back up onto Woody and try and attack Woody myself.

“It's typical media… they just all wrote that I disobeyed team orders. But that wasn't the case. It was that, he gets to you, let him go. He never got to me.

"I was pretty happy with that because we started seventh, finished fourth. I wanted to try and get a podium. I actually thought I might be able to get Woody."

Feeney and Brown are first and ninth in points heading to Tasmania on May 22-24.