Scott McLaughlin: ”It hurts to go out of the race like that”

Despite setting the fastest ever recorded Supercars lap time in qualifying for the Bathurst 1000, DJR Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin left race weekend with a lost championship lead due to an engine failure.

“It hurts to go out of the race like that, something that’s not really within our control,” said McLaughlin.

”I was getting ready to get into the car when the engine went, and Alex (Prémat) had to pull over on the side of the track. It doesn’t take away what we did yesterday, knowing we were the fastest car around Mount Panorama, but that’s how it goes. It’s a tough old race to win, and now we have to move on.”

McLaughlin had made a minor error in the greasy conditions early in the race that dropped him to sixth and the engine issue came when he had handed over the wheel to co-driver Alexandre Prémat around lap 45, finally retiring on lap 75.

Consolation for the team came from team-mate Fabian Coulthard who crossed the line in third, taking over the championship lead.

“If you’d told me before the start of this weekend that I’d leave with my first Bathurst podium, the Championship lead and the lead of the Pirtek Enduro Cup I probably wouldn’t have believed you!” said Coulthard.

”It’s been a great day for me, a real shame for Scott and Alex, they were super quick all weekend so seeing them go out like that wasn’t good at all. Good for the team though to still get a result today. Tony was fantastic, he did such a great job in that rain to keep the car in one piece where many others didn’t. All round, an awesome day.”