Bathurst 1000: Supercars won’t interfere in investigation into Scott McLaughlin’s win
As the debate that is dividing a sport continued with Dick Johnson declaring the prospect of a Mount Panorama result change as “rubbish’’, Supercars declared they would abide with any decision reach by CAMS.
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Supercars will not interfere with the investigation that could deny Scott McLaughlin his debut Bathurst 1000 win.
As the debate that is dividing a sport continued with Dick Johnson declaring the prospect of a Mount Panorama result change as “rubbish’’, Supercars said they would abide with any decision reach by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS).
A separate body from Supercars that is sanctioned by international governing body the FIA, CAMS is the organisation that has charged DJR/Team Penske with issuing an illegal team order during Sunday’s Bathurst 1000.
In a statement given to the Daily Telegraph, Supercars boss Sean Seamer said he would abide by any ruling made by CAMS when asked if he would intervene should McLaughlin be stripped of his Mount Panorama win.
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“The matter is on for the stewards to rule on,’’ Seamer said. “We will let them conduct their process and await the outcome.’’
DJR/Team Penske is preparing a legal case to challenge the team orders charge which was issued in the aftermath to McLaughlin’s epic Bathurst win.
The team was charged with ordering McLaughlin’s teammate to go slow during a safety car in an illegal bid to extend McLaughlin’s race lead.
DJR/Team Penske co-owner Johnson – a V8 legend who has won Bathurst three times – weighed into the debate by slamming those questioning McLaughlin’s win.
Speaking to Macquarie Sports Radio, Johnson described any prospect of the Bathurst 1000 result being overturned as a joke.
“That’s rubbish,’’ Johnson said. “Look, could you imagine that happening? You have got to be joking.
“Whatever happened did not change the outcome of the event one iota. That is my opinion from the ramblings that are going on. But I really don’t know enough about it to make a firm comment.’’
The “team orders’’ charge was laid against McLaughlin’s team following a two-hour hearing at Mount Panorama on Sunday night.
With his fate to be decided at another hearing on the Gold Coast next week, McLaughlin has been accused of gaining what could have been a race winning advantage from a go slow order that was given to his teammate Fabian Coulthard during a lap 134 safety car.
CAMS ruled DJR Team Penske ordered Coulthard to “go slow and create an unwarranted large gap between Cars #17 and Car #12 for tactical reasons’’.
Coulthard was in third place at the time of the alleged incident and his actions saw race leader McLaughlin increase his lead to third by 47 seconds.