TRIPLE Eight teammates Will Brown and Broc Feeney have detailed how they almost collided on the way to the grid ahead of the Sunday Supercars race at Albert Park.
The new-for-2024 Red Bull Ampol pairing finished second and third in the race having engaged in a tense battle behind eventual winner Nick Percat.
But their closest call had come before it began, as Brown almost swerved into Feeney as the latter went past on the reconnaissance lap.
“I was just not looking to be honest, it was probably my fault,” said Brown when asked about the near-miss by V8 Sleuth.
“I was warming up my tyres and Broc went past me, it scared the shit out of me.
“I thought ‘frig, I nearly took out both of our cars on the warm-up lap!’
“Luckily it didn’t happen. I would have been in trouble; I might have been fired already!
“It was very lucky.”
An outlap incident would not have been without precedent at Albert Park.
Ford drivers Scott McLaughlin and Cam Waters collided in similar circumstances in 2019, putting them both out of a race where they were due to start on the front-row.
Feeney explained that he’d looked to pass Brown as he was starting sixth compared to ninth for his teammate.
“I did the same yesterday actually because I was starting a row ahead,” Feeney added.
“I thought I’d just try and pass him here and as I (went) past, I saw him sort of jink to the left.
“I’m like ‘I wonder what he’s doing’. It was nearly Cam and Scotty Mac here a few years ago.
“But it didn’t happen. We haven’t touched and we’ll try not to.”
Brown edged Feeney to win the Larry Perkins Trophy and continues to lead his teammate in the championship standings after six races.
