Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is annoyed constant speculation over his all-conquering Ford Mustang is taking away from the efforts of his team.
McLaughlin and DJR Team Penske shrugged off forced changes to the Mustang’s aerodynamic package to dominate the Perth SuperNight event this weekend.
In-season testing following last month’s Phillip Island round revealed the Mustang held a slight advantage over its Holden and Nissan rivals, breaching parity regulations.
Supercars announced changes would have to be made to the cars before the Perth event, casting doubt on what effect it would have on the car’s performance.
In response, McLaughlin snared both pole positions, finished second behind teammate Fabian Coulthard in a one-two finish on Friday and then won Saturday’s 83-lap race in another dominant round for the Gold Coast-based outfit.
The Mustang has now won 11 of 12 races in 2019, despite twice having to undergo changes to its setup enforced by authorities.
McLaughlin has opened up a 142-point championship lead over Coulthard having won eight races already this year.
He says the focus on the team’s new car, and not the people working on it, is wearing thin.
« There’s been a lot of conjecture about whether the Mustang would come out and be as fast or whatever and I truly believe it’s our squad, » the 25-year-old said.
« We’ve done a really good job, we’ve just got to keep focused and try and block it out like we did this weekend.
« I’m frustrated. I’ve seen how hard everyone’s worked. As soon as this thing was announced they worked bloody hard on building the car from the computer screen to what it is now.
« We do feel like we’re one of the best teams up there and I guess that’s where we feel the difference is rather than the actual car. »
DJR’s success in Western Australia came under the gaze of billionaire American owner Roger Penske and several Ford heavyweights including global head of motorsport Mark Rushbrook.
A delighted Penske said he was proud of how the team had responded to the latest changes to the Mustang on the track.
« He’s a master isn’t he, when he qualifies? » Penske said of McLaughlin, who now has eight pole positions in 2019 to go with his eight race wins.
« Seeing both cars run up front really helps us from a team perspective. »
http://www.espn.com/v8-supercars/story/_/id/26673800/mustang-changes-frustrate-supercars-champ
