Will Davison addresses slow start to Shell V-Power Racing Team campaign ahead of Taupo

After an indifferent start to the 2024 Supercars season, Shell’s Will Davison has acknowledged the team needs to turn it around in NZ.

Shell V-Power Racing’s Will Davison looked like a pro out on the water, even getting some air in a choppy Darwin Harbour. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

Two-time Bathurst champion and Supercars veteran Will Davison isn’t shying away from his and Shell’s slow start to the season.

Dick Johnson Racing is currently languishing toward the bottom of the table, 10th out of 12, with its driver’s not faring much better; Davison (10th) and Anton De Pasquale (21st).

“We’re not hiding behind the fact that we (Shell V-Power Racing Team) need to be better,” Davison said.

“Since the Gen 3 cars have been introduced, we really haven’t consistently got our heads around it.

“We’ve had glimpses of speed, but haven’t truly unlocked what we need. We’re searching for it and with that comes inconsistency.”

After an up and down opening six races, Davison expressed his disappointment with how the season was panning out, and that pressure was starting to mount for the team.

“Obviously we wanted to come out of the gates at Bathurst guns blazing,” he said.

“We didn’t, so that’s been disappointing.

“I got a fifth and a sixth which is obviously not what we are there for but it wasn’t a disaster.

“Without the ability to go testing we’ve been deep into the analysis because the pressure is on and we need to be stepping up.

“There really, really is a lot of pressure on us to do that; there’s no magic unfortunately.

“We can’t just wave a wand, we’ve got to talk about it and put in the hard work.

“I’m hoping that with New Zealand just around the corner that we can continue this sort of upwards trajectory and get ourselves on the podium.”

The 41-year-old maintains his team has the goods to fight the top teams, but acknowledged his opponents weren’t taking a backwards step.

“There’s a lot of very fast Camaros, but some Ford teams are doing a better job than us at the moment, Matty Payne and the Grove (Racing) guys in particular and Chaz (Mostert) with Walkinshaw,” he said.

“And Red Bull have stepped it up again this season.

“Everyone was thinking that with SVG leaving that they’d have a bit of a dip, but this has got to be the most dominant they’ve been in quite a while.

“Clearly they’re doing something there incredibly well.

“Apart from them, the parity has been very highly discussed.

“We’ve got belief in ourselves to do that, we’ve got the tools to turn it around.

“We’re only two events in and we know how quickly things can change in the sport, which is why we’ve got to not look back.”

The Shell V-Power Racing Team will race in the Super400 at Taupō International Motorsport Park for the first time from April 19-21.