Brown explains 'awkward' team orders slip-up
Will Brown wants to "repay" Broc Feeney after "awkward" slip-up
Brown admits he "made the mistake" that prevented team play
Feeney let Brown through in Darwin finale, before Safety Car
Will Brown wants to “repay” Broc Feeney later in the season after admitting fault in Triple Eight’s bungled team orders call in Darwin.
Brown finished ahead of Feeney in Sunday’s betr Darwin Triple Crown finale, after being let through in the final stint to attack Cam Waters.
Feeney was informed that Brown would give the position back if he was unable to get Waters. However, a late Safety Car threw a curveball at drivers and team.
The race ended behind the Safety Car, called for Chaz Mostert’s stricken Toyota, with Brown finishing ahead of Feeney and Penrite Racing’s Kai Allen.
On his Lucky Dogs Podcast, Brown explained that he was “happy” to hand the place back to Feeney.
“I knew I had to give the position back,” Brown said.
“[Engineer] Andrew [Edwards] said, there’s going to probably be a Safety Car, and I was like, ‘Okay, well, how close is Kai to Broc? Where can I hand this position back?’I was all fine, not a drama, happy to hand the position back.
"If it was for a win, first and second or something like that, maybe you start fighting on it, but I’m like, fourth or fifth, I don’t really care… but it was awkward.”
Ultimately, Brown added that the timing of the Safety Car caught him out.
“I probably got the opportunity. I rolled out and everything, but I didn’t do it quick enough and the Safety Car came out, which meant Broc couldn’t pass me back,” the 2024 champion continued.
“I was planning [to hand the place back] when the restart happened, I’d let him pass down the front straight just before the finish line.
“But obviously we didn’t get a restart. He’s not allowed to pass under the Safety Car, so I ended up coming fourth.”
Brown and Feeney have previously worked team orders situations throughout their time as teammates, from Christchurch earlier this year, Melbourne last year, and a pit priority call in Townsville last year.
Despite voicing his displeasure of the reporting of the latest situation, Brown admitted Feeney was “fuming,” and insisted he will play the team game with Feeney down the line
“It’s funny, they beat it up, that Broc was fuming and all that, which he was, but we’re out at dinner straight away after with his family,” Brown said.
“Like, after the race, you are fuming, you’re like, ‘Oh, frig, I missed a spot’. And I can understand that, but it’s not something that goes on. It’s just like, pretty much what I would do is, I owe him one.
“So, I’ll give him a position somewhere later in the year to sort of repay it. That’s how it works in teams or with teammates.
“Not that the team’s telling me I have to do that, but I would do that because I made the mistake that I couldn’t give the position back and he gave me one.”
Feeney and Brown are first and seventh in the points heading to Townsville on July 10-12.
