Penalised team fumes as drama hits Bathurst 12 Hour

1 year ago 87

Jules Gounon has clinched 3 Bathurst 12 Hour victories successful succession and go the archetypal successful past to unafraid 3 titles.

But GruppeM Racing is fuming aft copping a punishment precocious successful the contention astatine Mount Panorama connected Sunday.

GruppeM Racing's Maro Engel overtook Sun Energy 1's Gounon to pinch the pb astatine The Chase with 47 minutes remaining successful the race, but helium made interaction with his rival and sent him spinning disconnected the track.

The incidental was investigated and Engel was dealt a pit-lane penalty.

The German showed tremendous combat successful making up crushed implicit the remainder of the race, but the pit-lane punishment proved too large a hurdle to overcome.

"For me, Jules was astatine the extremity of the braking zone, truthful I don't cognize what Maro could bash due to the fact that helium was committed to overtaking him already," said GruppeM Racing teammate Mikael Grenier connected the Fox Sports broadcast.

But Fox Sports commentator John Hindhaugh condemned Engel's move.

"That was perfectly connected the cards from the infinitesimal (Gounon) pulled out," Hindhaugh said.

"That an overly optimistic lunge. There's not overmuch going for that astatine all."

Bathurst large Garth Tander besides argued that Engel was successful the wrong.

"Engel jumped successful down Gounon similar helium wasn't going to person a lunge and past stepped retired and sent it," Tander said.

"He's up implicit the kerb and creates contact.

"It's down the rear instrumentality to commencement with.

"He sends it hard astatine the apex and he's not acold up determination capable successful world to get that occupation done.

"The contact, beforehand bumper to rear wheel, was the incriminating evidence."

As Engel tried to peg backmost the deficit, Hindhaugh said the 37-year-old was "fired up similar a volcano".

Engel was visibly shattered pursuing the race, but successful an enactment of sportsmanship, helium walked up to Gounon during an interrogation and gave his hostile a hug and a pat connected the back.

Gounon and Engel had combined to triumph astatine Daytona conscionable past week.

In the Bathurst 12 Hour, lone 1.4 seconds divided victor Gounon of France, the second-placed Matt Campbell and the third-placed Engel, aft 323 laps, oregon 2006 kilometres.

Sun Energy 1 operator Kenny Habul delivered a priceless interrogation moments aft the race.

"It's unbelievable," the Australian told Fox Sports.

"Luca (Stolz) and Jules conscionable drove the balls disconnected this car and I americium truthful proud," Habul said.

"Thanks to Mercedes-AMG and acknowledgment to the municipality of Bathurst.

"This is the greatest.

"And I wanted to triumph outright.

"And, you know, I drove truly well. I was arrogant of myself. And it was pugnacious due to the fact that I had aged tyres from Luca erstwhile I got in.

"And I'm conscionable truly proud. Proud of everyone, arrogant of the team.

"Thank you."

Habul was past asked what he'd bash with the tyres that drove the squad to victory, prompting a superb answer.

"Well archetypal I'm going to tally astir the way naked," helium said, drafting laughs from those wrong earshot.

"And past aft that, I'm going to portion a batch tonight."

Gounon was ecstatic with his win.

"I'm dead," helium told Fox Sports.

"First of all, I privation to accidental atrocious to Maro for the contact.

"This week we had to fight.

"It's going to beryllium hard — that's what I said. But to triumph Bathurst ... I'm atrocious ... I'm truly dead!

"Having to support and seeing large drivers similar Maro...

"We are destroyed, but Kenny did a large occupation this morning.

"I'm retired of words, it's amazing."

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