Chaz Mostert leads Prodrive 1-2 as tyre issues continue

Chaz Mostert headed a Prodrive Racing Australia 1-2 with team-mate Mark Winterbottom in second place at Phillip Island, as several of the front-runners were hit with punctures and penalties.

The DJR Team Penske duo of Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard had claimed first and second on the grid, with Coulthard taking the lead heading into the first corner.

A first safety car period, to recover Will Davison’s car from the gravel trap, separated the two as Coulthard headed into the pits for a first stop while McLaughlin continued on track.

A second safety car period came as both Triple Eight Race Engineering drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup suffered rear-right punctures, dropping them down the order to finish 16th and 18th respectively.

Coulthard meanwhile received a drive-through penalty for re-entering the track after his second pitstop during a safety car period when the pit exit light was showing red. The Kiwi finished 17th in the end.

McLaughlin headed in for his last stop with 16 laps left and had to perform some bodywork repairs, dropping him down the order to finish 14th.

This saw Mostert in the lead, heading team-mate Winterbottom over the finishing line to win by close to three seconds.

Erebus Motorsport driver David Reynolds crossed the line in third ahead of Garry Rogers Motorsport driver James Moffat in fourth.

Holden driver Lee Holdsworth and Ford driver Cameron Waters rounded off the top six.

Coulthard still holds the championship lead, albeit just seven points ahead of van Gisbergen and 37 points ahead of Mostert in third.