Whincup's mission to foster Feeney/Brown rivalry
Will Brown joins Broc Feeney at Triple Eight in 2024
Feeney and Brown were rivals last season in heated title fight
Jamie Whincup aiming for championship one-two in 2024
Jamie Whincup is intent on ensuring Broc Feeney and new recruit Will Brown have a "healthy" rivalry as both drivers aim to return Triple Eight to championship ways.
Brown joined Red Bull Ampol Racing from Erebus Motorsport, which was led to title glory by Brodie Kostecki last season.
Erebus’ pre-season has been thrust into the headlines, with Kostecki sitting out the Thrifty Bathurst 500 and Todd Hazelwood stepping up.
Amid its rivals' off-track noise, Triple Eight has carried on, hosting an eye-catching season launch in Toowoomba, before testing its new Camaros on Monday.
For Whincup, Triple Eight’s mission to return to the top requires both drivers to work together — something the Supercars Hall of Famer believes is assured given the character of both drivers.
“There’s a risk involved, but for me, it’s a fairly low risk,” Whincup replied when asked about having two young drivers at the team.
“Both guys have shown that they’re very, very fast, but most importantly, they’re good kids, they're willing to learn, they’ve got great values, great ethics.
“They want to be part of the team, and that’s exactly what we look for in any team member. I can’t wait to see them out there, competing as hard as they can.
“We’ll take it to the opposition, and the opposition are going to throw everything at us this year, so we need to work well together to be at the front of the pack."
Feeney and Brown, aged 21 and 25 respectively, form the youngest teammate pairing on the grid, and the second least-experienced when it comes to race starts.
However, both are now proven race winners, and also fought each other for the 2023 title before their campaigns fell apart due to incidents and poor luck.
Many expect Feeney to step up another level in 2024, given he pushed and often beat Shane van Gisbergen last year, but Brown arrives with a new confidence after a lacklustre end to 2023.
Thankfully for Whincup, Feeney and Brown know the score, Brown saying at Saturday's launch: "We'll work well together, we're both young guys that want to do a good job. At the end of the day, whoever wins did a better job on that day. We're keen to push each other, and see who ends up on top."
Feeney echoed Brown's comments, saying: "At the end of the day, we're both trying to win, but you both can't win. We get along really well... you do want to beat your teammates, but you have to beat everyone else first."
Both drivers have a lot to prove, and Whincup wants them to race hard against each other, as long as they have the team’s best interests “front and centre”.
“To have Will onboard alongside Broc is fantastic for us. I can’t think of a younger, more exciting driver combination than those two heading into this year,” Whincup said.
“We’ll make sure we give them the best cars on the grid, and then it’s going to up to them to showcase what we can do.
“It doesn’t matter which car wins the race, as long as it’s one of them. It’s my job to make sure there’s a healthy rivalry between the two of them.
“I want them to go out there and race hard against each other, but make they’ve got the team’s interests front and centre.
“We’ll do what we can to get both cars up the front, and if we can finish one-two, that’s the goal.”
Feeney and Brown will take on their rivals at the season-opening Thrifty Bathurst 500 on February 23-25. Tickets are on sale now.
