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Crestfallen F1 prodigy on brink of 'fairytale finish' - CtrlF.XYZ

Crestfallen F1 prodigy on brink of 'fairytale finish'

2 years ago 135

A operator erstwhile touted for the heights of Formula 1 who fell to the depths of despair present finds himself connected the brink of a career-defining comeback.

Richie Stanaway was erstwhile thought to beryllium New Zealand's adjacent anticipation of having a operator successful Formula 1.

A prolific teenager, the Tauranga-born operator was aligned with Renault and its Formula 1 team.

LIVE BLOG: All the enactment from Bathurst 1000 contention day

However, successful 2012 erstwhile helium broke his backmost successful a terrifying airborne crash, his hopes were dashed.

Despite a comeback and a instrumentality to the heights of the now-known Formula 2 scene, Stanaway yet faded from the presumption of Formula 1.

After respective years of endurance racing, his puerility imagination of competing successful the Bathurst 1000 came successful 2016.

A storming Sandown 500 triumph successful 2017 secured Stanaway a full-time Supercars thrust for 2018, but the world of competing successful an uncompetitive car killed his enthusiasm.

By the extremity of 2019, Stanaway called it quits. He retired from each forms of motorsport and returned location wherever helium began moving with his family's business.

A turbulent 2 years betwixt Tickford Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport had polarised nationalist opinion.

However, passim it all, helium had 1 cardinal protagonist who ever believed successful his quality – Boost Mobile proprietor Peter Adderton.

In 2021, the telco brag convinced Stanaway to travel retired of status for a one-off quality successful the Bathurst 1000 with four-time Great Race victor Greg Murphy.

The coronavirus pandemic scuppered those plans, but the tendency to marque it hap remained and successful 2022 the long-awaited cameo came to fruition.

For Adderton, a instrumentality to the Supercars country had 2 imaginable outcomes — either Stanaway signs disconnected from motorsport connected his ain terms, oregon it reinvigorates his passionateness for the athletics helium fell retired of emotion with and a instrumentality to full-time contention comes to pass.

So far, it's been a imagination return. Stanaway has shown velocity up determination with the best, and bushed his Erebus Motorsport teammates Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown successful a bedewed qualifying.

"That's what this was each about," said Stanaway's co-driver Murphy.

"This is what Peter Adderton from Boost Mobile wanted to bash was conscionable springiness an accidental backmost to Richie to get backmost successful a car. If this is the past contention that helium does past it's been a large mode to measurement away.

"The enthusiasm he's got for going backmost racing again, we know. And you guys person talked astir it a lot, helium should beryllium driving a contention car and he's proven again he's deserving of that due to the fact that he's got the accomplishment and the talent.

"It's conscionable astir uncovering the close accidental I determination is 1 and deciding if that's what helium wants to do."

Stanaway's show successful the lead-up to the 161-lapper drew the praise of Supercars commentators Neil Crompton and Mark Skaife.

The Kiwi led the Erebus Motorsport trio, qualifying 5th up of Brodie Kostecki successful ninth and Will Brown successful 10th.

Stanway and Murphy volition commencement fourth, courtesy of a punishment to Shane van Gisbergen for a qualifying clash with Macauley Jones.

"Unbelievable. To travel from obscurity and beryllium retired of the cars and to beryllium starting connected the 2nd enactment of the grid, unthinkable performance," said five-time champion Skaife.

"All the precise champion for the day, due to the fact that that would beryllium a fairytale finish.

"When we came into the play – large show for each 3 Erebus cars to beryllium successful the apical 10 – but I ne'er would person said Murphy and Stanaway would beryllium the fastest of the Erebus competitors."

For Murphy, who hasn't competed successful the Bathurst 1000 since 2014, it's been an enjoyable comeback.

The 50-year-old is the older operator connected this year's grid and had plentifulness of apprehension coming into the 2022 event.

"It's been a batch of fun," helium admitted.

"I've been amazed however overmuch I've enjoyed it. I've been beauteous apprehensive and a small spot anxious, but this spot is conscionable amazing.

"The archetypal clip I drove retired present connected Thursday, drove retired onto the track, it was similar 'wow!' It was beauteous awesome and beauteous humbling and I consciousness honoured to person the opportunity, to beryllium honest."

The Bathurst 1000 gets underway connected Sunday astatine 11:15am.

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