The arrival of Shane van Gisbergen at Triple Eight Race Engineering and the team’s expansion to three cars in 2016 has been welcomed by Jamie Whincup, who has also played down any prospect of on-track conflict with the young Kiwi charger.
Team owner Roland Dane announced van Gisbergen’s signing from Tekno Autosports last week, while at the same time confirming he had re-signed Craig Lowndes for a further two years and primary sponsor Red Bull until at least the end of 2017.
Dane had already secured six-time and defending V8 Supercars champion Whincup until the end of the 2018 season.
“It’s all positive from my behalf, Shane is a class act,” said Whincup at Albert Park, where the V8 Supercars are preparing to race on the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix program over the next four days.
“I always decide if it is a good or bad decision based on what I would do in that situation myself, and I would have signed Shane as well.
“He is one of the most talented blokes in pitlane and I am looking forward to working alongside him.”
Whincup played down any prospect that the Kiwi joining the team would potentially create an unhealthy rivalry as they battle for superiority.
“From my behalf there is never competition within the team, we always work hard together to make both cars quick. That is the way it has worked with me and Lowndesy and that’s the approach I will be taking into next year and I am sure Shane will adopt the same strategy.”
Off-track, Whincup said he had a good relationship with van Gisbergen built up through the T8-Tekno technical alliance and because they saw each other at various promotional functions both attended.
“We do have a lot to do with each other and that’s only going to get stronger next year,” Whincup said.
On-track, he revealed his attitude towards van Gisbergen would change when they became teammates.
“I try my absolute best to not have contact with my teammate, so if that means I have to back out of those 50:50 contests with my teammate I will, but I won’t with the rest of the field. So yes, things will change once he’s in the same garage.”
Whincup took the opportunity to complement Lowndes, saying van Gisbergen had a big job in front of him to emulate his current teammate.
“Lowndesy has been an absolutely fantastic teammate and pushed me to achieve my best and I hope Shane is just as good and just as equal.
“It should bring out my best so I am hoping he is every bit as competitive as Lowndesy and as good a team-mate as Lowndesy. Change is inevitable, we have had a fantastic partnership, thankfully that is going to continue, but now we also have Shane in the mix. It’s a great scenario.”
Whincup, 31, described as inevitable Dane’s decision to sign 25-year old van Gisbergen, a move that effectively marks the New Zealander as his eventual successor.
“That’s life. RD (Roland Dane) had to make the call and he is doing the right thing by not having two guys the same age. I would make sure there is age separation as there is between me and Lowndes. If you want to say he is the next generation that’s cool.”
Whincup also said he had no qualms expanding the T8 squad from two to three cars for 2016 because of the close ties established with Tekno in 2013 when Van Gisbergen also joined the team from Erebus Motorsport/Stone Brothers Racing.
However, Whincup also admitted there were plenty of organisational details yet to be revealed, including who would be joining him in the Red Bull garage in 2016 and who would be sharing with another single car operation, which at this stage is most likely to be Tekno.
“How it is all going to work I don’t think we know that yet,” he conceded. “I certainly don’t and I don’t know if RD does. Who will be beside me in the garage I am not exactly sure yet.
“We were basically a three car team anyway, he’s got exactly the same car down the road and we share data so this is basically just grouping it all together.”
Whincup said he agreed with van Gisbergen’s statement on Inside Supercars on Tuesday night that the three cars would run with equal status in 2016.
“That’s spot on, Triple Eight has never been any different. Anyone who is involved in the team gets equal status.”
Whincup enters the four Albert Park support races with the knowledge T8 hasn’t won a race at the grand prix circuit since 2011. He said the team was intent on changing that this year.
“We are not testing, we have some pretty important people here from all our major sponsors, so we are certainly not changing tyres or doing test runs. We have our head down, it’s no different to any other race meeting, we have our pride on the line, opportunity to show what Red Bull Racing is all about and we will execute like we always do.”
