Photo: Tickford Racing

Mark Winterbottom ”pissed off” after penalty in Adelaide

Tickford Racing driver Mark Winterbottom left the 2018 Supercars championship season opener in Adelaide angry after the penalty he received for excessive kerb use in the final race.

“You put your hand up when you do the wrong thing and stuff like that, but I was losing three tenths a lap going around that kerb, and the blokes in front of me were smashing it, going faster and driving away,” said Winterbottom.

The Ford Falcon driver received a drive-through penalty, dropping him out of the top five to finish 13th.

”I knew I had the warning so I was driving around it. I’m pretty confident I had two wheels on the track, so I don’t know how I got the penalty. It’s been judged by how you hit the kerb, not where your wheels are placed where the rules are how the wheels are placed not how you hit the kerb, so pretty confused by that. But a positive weekend, we were on for two top fives, and came back with a straight car. It’s nice to be running at the front, but I’m pretty pissed off,” said Winterbottom.

The monitoring of kerb use is at the Senna Chicane on the Adelaide street circuit and is monitored by an electronic sensor, something Winterbottom calls for to be used alongside judging from the stewards.

“I’d prefer [the officials] to go down there, stand there and say ‘you had two wheels off’; judge of fact. But relying on how much the car lifts… I’m pretty annoyed,” said Winterbottom to supercars.com.

Winterbottom is placed eighth in the standings after the season opener on 177 points compared to championship leader Shane van Gisbergen’s 300 points.