Mostert takes responsibility for costly penalty
Chaz Mostert takes blame for unsafe release penalty
Penalty prevents Perth sweep for WAU Ford star
Mostert released into Thomas Randle's path in Race 10
Chaz Mostert has taken responsibility for the race-defining unsafe release penalty that cost him a Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint sweep.
The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver crossed the line first in Race 10 on Sunday by 2.4115s over Ford rival Cam Waters.
However, Mostert dropped to second in the classification given he had copped five-second penalty, ultimately finishing second by 2.5885s.
Mostert had taken the lead from pole-sitter Waters at the end of the first lap, with Waters’s teammate Thomas Randle following him in.
The #25 Ford had a 1.6s lead over Waters when he came in on lap 28. WAU changed four tyres on Mostert’s car, and Tickford only two on Randle’s Mustang.
Mostert emerged ahead of Randle, with the WAU car controller heard saying, “Behind this car, behind this car,” then, “Okay, go, go, go… Oh sorry mate.” Randle lifted and touched the brakes, avoiding contact.
“Yeah, that sucks,” Mostert said.
“I didn't expect us to be really close with anybody else so we'll have to go back and understand.
“You've got to lay it all on the line and I sent it out, I probably got a little bit hesitant. The radio call was, 'Merge, merge, merge,' but I swear I was clear just from my perception but I hesitated a little bit and then I still committed to it.
“So, yeah, a little mistake on my part there, so I'll take that one and no doubt we'll regroup, come back.”
Mostert won Saturday’s race, and despite enjoying fast race pace, he felt “robbed”, adding: “But overall, super-fast car, it's nice to just have pace and be able to feel like you can win.
“A win yesterday, I feel robbed, I would have loved to have won today, but it wasn't meant to be. I'll take the fastest lap and P2 in that one and still crossed the line first, so I'll still put it in my win tally anyway.”
Mostert opened up a lead in the realm of 4.7s with 15 laps to go, but Waters closed and ultimately had the pace to defeat his former teammate.
"I didn't really race the race I wanted to race, to be honest,” Mostert added.
“Obviously, we got called in a little bit earlier than Cam. So, that last stint, I probably would have gone out a little bit softer, probably burnt the tyres up a fair bit trying to gain that five-second gap after we had the penalty.
“Definitely didn't have the strong car at the end like I would normally have, but I didn't everything I could to try and make up the deficit. Unfortunately Cam just kind of eased into it.
"He knew I had the penalty, he played a smart race to get inside that gap, but yeah, just couldn't hold that five seconds.”
Mostert remains third in the championship, but is only 39 points behind second-placed Broc Feeney.
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