How WAU took 'diabolical' Sandown head-on

Walkinshaw Andretti United will arrive at the Mountain hunting glory, with the Ford team immediately turning the page on its self-labelled "diabolical" Sandown performance.

WAU has been tipped by many to vie for victory at the Repco Bathurst 1000, with Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth currently leading a Supercars.com poll.

However, Sandown was far from comfortable for the team, with an early Holdsworth spin forcing the 2021 Bathurst-winning combination into fightback mode.

On raw numbers, Mostert was the fastest driver in the race, but strategic missteps, headlined by the #25 not pitting for tyres under a late Safety Car, leading Team Principal Carl Faux to leave a scathing review of the team's performance.

"Having both cars in the Top Ten Shootout is something to be happy about but we made too many mistakes in the race," Faux said after the race.

"Seventh place was more than we deserved. We just weren’t good enough. The pace is there but the execution was diabolical in every area. It’s a bitter pill to swallow and we must learn from it.

"Everyone will be in the workshop at 8.30am on Monday for a full reset. We’ll now look forward to one of our strengths, which is racing at Mount Panorama."

In another example of the team's ruthless mentality in 2024, that has seen Mostert hold second in the championship, WAU followed through on Faux's words and immediately grouped together on the Monday to unpack what went wrong.

For Holdsworth, it was all part of the team's burning desire to deliver at Mount Panorama.

“After the race, we all grouped together in the workshop and had a bit of a chat about all the things that we could have done better as a team,” Holdsworth told Supercars.com.

“We’re making sure that we're using Sandown as a bit of a warm-up for Bathurst. Bathurst means a lot more to the team, and to us drivers than what Sandown does.

"But, there's a bigger picture here as well, and that's the championship. So, you've got to keep that in mind. But having Sandown as a warm-up and having a couple of issues throughout the day, that can be addressed.

"I think it'll put us in a better position heading into Bathurst and feeling more prepared, and in a better mindset. Bathurst matters more."

More than most, Holdsworth knows how quickly things can change. In 2021, the #25 was the benchmark car, but a mid-race tyre delamination seemingly ended their hopes.

However, raw pace and smart strategy got them back into the fight for victory, and as the final stints played out, the #25 was again peerless.

It was a similar story 12 months ago; Mostert was a lowly ninth in the Shootout, and Holdsworth fell to 15th in the opening stint.

Slowly but surely, the #25 recovered to the top five in the final stint, which became fourth as the Broc Feeney car dropped out.

A veteran of 20 starts, Holdsworth is firm on his role: "I have to make sure that I give the car back back to Chaz in a good position.

“Bathurst is about who can execute and make the least mistakes. Obviously you've got to have a fast car there.

"Chaz and I proved in '21 that you can come back from an issue, but you need a very good car to do it.”

The 2024 Supercars Championship resumes at the Repco Bathurst 1000 from October 10-13. Tickets for the event are on sale now.