Supercars news: 2021 Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert sledges Lee Holdsworth

When 2021 Bathurst champions Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth come together to collect a plaque commemorating their victory the atmosphere is going to be frosty.

Reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Chaz Mostert has had a tongue-in-cheek dig at his 2021 co-driver turned Penrite Racing rival Lee Holdsworth ahead of the looming return to Mount Panorama next month.

The Walkinshaw Andretti driver will partner Fabian Coulthard for this year’s title defence and couldn’t help but send an early gibe at Holdsworth during testing this week.

“Lee was fresh for us last year so it’s kind of the same feeling (with Coulthard),” Mostert said of the Bathurst build-up.

“(We are) just getting Fabs up to speed, he’s doing a great job out there, probably even better than Lee – we’ll have a little jab at him.

“We have some awesome things part of the (Bathurst 1000) week. We’re getting a plaque for the win last year, so we’ll be able to share that with Lee. Then he can toddle off, go back to his team and we can go out there and try and beat him.”

Lee Holdsworth and Chaz Mostert celebrating on the podium after winning the Repco Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama today. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The two-time Bathurst winner has high expectations this year, hoping that a similar car and more experience will mean a better title defence than the sixth-place finish from 2016.

“It’s the second time I’ve had that opportunity to try and go back-to-back. Last time it didn’t end so well for me but I’ve learned a lot since then so I’m pretty excited,” Mostert said.

“Obviously the car was fantastic last year so (we) should be able to have the same car again coming this year, but we’ve just got to wait and see.”

Holdsworth, who will partner Matt Payne in his final Bathurst before retiring at the end of the season, would not be drawn on any return serves but did say it made his title defence all the more interesting having Mostert in a different seat.

“Every year you go back to the mountain it’s pretty exciting but after last year, we’ll get our name on the plaque down main street. Obviously we want to defend the title but there’s another bloke down there trying to defend the same title,” Holdsworth said.

“Chaz and I have a great relationship. We’re good mates and we had a lot of fun last year but when our helmets go on for the race we won’t be best mates anymore. We’ll be playing for keeps, all of us. We all want to get our names on the trophy again.”

Originally published as Supercars news: 2021 Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert sledges Lee Holdsworth