Flying UK trip pays off for Randle

A flying trip to the United Kingdom has paid dividends for Thomas Randle, who caught up with a renowned driver coach between Townsville and Sydney.

Randle claimed his first podium of the season in Saturday night’s race in Sydney, which was won by Ford rival Chaz Mostert. It came after Tickford Racing stablemate Cam Waters denied Randle pole by just 0.0134s in a thrilling Shootout.

The Castrol Ford led the field through Turn 1, with Randle gapping the field before Mostert got by in the pit cycle. Mostert overhauled Matt Payne in the closing laps to win, with Randle jumping to seventh in the championship with his podium.

Critically, Randle and Waters combined to help Tickford jump Walkinshaw Andretti United to second in the teams' championship, albeit by just four points.

Randle jetted off to England after Townsville, with his trip including a visit the Alpine Formula 1 factory, watching on at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed, and attending friend Jack Aitken’s wedding.

He also fit in time with veteran driver coach Rob Wilson, who has worked with several Supercars drivers, including Randle’s teammate Waters.

“I was in the UK last week and did a couple of days with [driver coach] Rob Wilson, who I have been over and seen him a few times times,” Randle said.

“It was a bit touch-and-go with the tight turnaround but it was great to catch up with him again, and just work on those little things.

“Whether they paid off tonight, I don’t know, but I’m sure it only helped.”

A lot has changed in a year, with Randle 18th in the championship in Sydney last July. Fast forward 12 months, the 28-year-old is racking up top five finishes, and now has a podium to his name.

When asked about his rise, Randle — who made his full-time debut in 2022 — said: “I think it’s a combination of things.

“Certainly I have learnt a lot more about the tyre, and there’s a lot of elements. The one-lap speed is so important, that really helps set up the race and then bringing that tyre in, how crucial that is for tyre life.

“The team scaling back to two cars, I know that has obviously been spoken about a lot but it just really has helped focus in on the two cars.

“The efficiency has been a lot better, and Cam and I work really well together. We have known each other for a long time and it’s just really easy working with him.

“It’s such a competitive championship, so to get a podium feels great."

Supercars will return to the track on Sunday for Boost Mobile Qualifying at 12:05pm AEST, before the Top Ten Shootout at 1:40pm. The Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight will conclude with Race 16 at 4:05pm.