EVERY driver on the Repco Supercars Championship grid signed a petition to rectify the kerb strike issue that again reared its head at the Gold Coast 500.
Shane van Gisbergen last night made note of the efforts that had gone on, led by a four-pronged driver group comprising of himself, Will Davison, Cam Waters and Chaz Mostert.
It followed significant confusion voiced by the top three from Friday practice around what constituted a kerb hop which would in turn see that lap time deleted in practice/qualifying/Top 10 Shootout.
A subsequent mid-event meeting with Supercars resulted in mixed feelings.
“It was a little bit frustrating, after the (Friday) press conference Will, Cam and myself thought we better do something, we were all complaining and we had the same problem, it wasn’t a personal thing,” said van Gisbergen.
“And then Chaz joined in, we sort of had a four-guy driver group.
“Every single driver signed a petition that the kerbs aren’t good enough and we need to do something so it was frustrating that they didn’t listen to us but also at the same time maybe I don’t understand enough the FIA licence rules and stuff like that.
“We come back here year after year and it’s the same stuff so hopefully we can all sit down, be a bit calmer and thorough and come up with something good for next time.”
The solution put forward by the drivers was to turn off the electronic sensors – particularly at the back chicane.
Regardless, Mostert did reserve praise for Supercars’ willingness to listen.
“I think the way Supercars handled it and finally listened to us or at least gave us the opportunity to talk to Supercars about doing a track change so late in the piece I thought was pretty good from them,” he said.
“In previous years I don’t think there would even have been a possibility to sit with them.
“There was a change to the track from the first chicane there, the first tyre bundle got moved back which was the only real outcome Supercars could have done at the time because their loops didn’t have different stages in it that they could turn off to make at least the Turn 2 kerb better.
“But the last chicane, they said most of us that were skipping, they had vision that we were skipping.
“I think it’s a bit harsh on Supercars to say they didn’t do anything for us – they at least got some track difference moved and I think that’s a credit for them to actually hear us out.
“Hopefully that trust more going forward and talk about a driver group to hear what the drivers’ opinion is more often on track stuff and that.”
Meanwhile, van Gisbergen and Davison voiced their support for the use of tyre bundles, which had been criticised by multiple drivers involved in the huge Lap 4 crash yesterday.
The final stop on the 2022 calendar will come at Adelaide across December 1-4.
