Skaife criticism 'a kick in the teeth' for SVG

1 year ago 60

A "pretty down" Shane van Gisbergen says disapproval helium received from five-time Supercars champion Mark Skaife was "a footwear successful the teeth" successful the aftermath of his media shutdown.

After winning Sunday's contention astatine the Newcastle 500, van Gisbergen drew a terse effect from Skaife erstwhile helium decided not to reply questions successful the end-of-day property conference.

Broadcast sum showed an speech betwixt past year's champ and property league big Chad Neylon earlier Skaife and co-commentator Garth Tander laid into van Gisbergen.

However, it did omit a consequent reply from the Kiwi who said his honesty successful a property league earlier successful the play astir the caller Gen3 cars had "bit maine successful the arse."

Skaife said van Gisbergen had a work arsenic past year's champion to reply questions portion off-sider Jessica Yates suggested fans had missed retired arsenic a result.

"They privation to beryllium arsenic adjacent to the enactment arsenic they tin and rather frankly without them, Shane van Gisbergen doesn't person the occupation that helium has," said Fox Sports' Yates.

"It's truly disappointing to deliberation that Shane doesn't privation to prosecute with the media, each of the radical who are gathering him up to beryllium the champion that helium is, but besides our fans who missed retired connected that penetration and analysis."

Within the Supercars paddock, it's wide known van Gisbergen has not been a instrumentality of the next-generation cars.

The three-time Bathurst 1000 victor has been hesitant to talk connected the substance for fears of backlash from Supercars.

Those fears were realised aft comments helium made connected Friday drew choler from Supercars management, van Gisbergen suggesting helium had "upset immoderate of the apical brass" arsenic a result.

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Wide World of Sports understands immoderate journalists were contacted by Skaife successful the aftermath of van Gisbergen's comments, with Skaife bemoaning the antagonistic coverage.

Following important societal media upheaval connected some sides of the obstruction aft Sunday's fracas, the usually reserved operator made a lengthy station crossed platforms.

"Over the play I astir apt said a spot excessively overmuch publically connected Friday astir the vigor of the cars, though it did beryllium fruitful getting other cooling for the drivers," van Gisbergen wrote.

"Many inactive struggled, including myself, with the heat. Unfortunately that upset immoderate of the apical brass and hence my adopted media strategy for Sunday 'if you don't person thing bully to say, don't accidental it astatine all'. I conscionable knuckled down and drove my arse disconnected connected track.

"I recognize it's my work to correspond the athletics successful a bully airy arsenic champion, I volition bash that to the champion of my quality by being myself disconnected track, racing hard connected way for my squad members, squad partners and our fans.

"It was a existent footwear successful the teeth proceeding those comments from a five-time champion – idiosyncratic I look up to and respect. I americium not going to unreal it's each roses erstwhile it is not."

Van Gisbergen has been a cardinal portion of the improvement of the caller Gen3 touring cars.

Behind the scenes, helium has been vocal successful his disdain for a assortment of issues, including operator comfort, cockpit temperatures, and visibility.

After Saturday's archetypal 250km race, respective drivers were near exhausted. In Friday's property conference, van Gisbergen foreshadowed soaring temperatures.

The footwell was peculiarly warm, starring van Gisbergen to statement his caller Chevrolet Camaro the "hottest car I've driven successful a agelong time."

He said Supercars had misinterpreted drivers struggling with the car arsenic making for amended racing.

"It's not a concealed I haven't been a instrumentality of the mode the Gen3 car feels and drives, and down closed doors I've been beauteous captious of things and tried to marque it better, firstly with feedback to the class successful the prototype investigating and present with my squad trying to marque the contention spec car to my liking," van Gisbergen wrote.

"The class seems to deliberation our complaints and gripes with the car volition 'make amended racing' if we are struggling and we are told to beryllium affirmative and amusement the athletics successful a bully light, which of people I recognize the past part.

"I effort to beryllium arsenic neutral arsenic I tin with my critiques of the car, I enactment with the volition of representing the drivers trying to marque the car amended for everyone.

"As overmuch arsenic I don't person a bully feeling with the car astatine the infinitesimal it drops perfectly into my strengths - hard to drive, connected edge, hard connected tyres. Perfect for me!

"So what americium I complaining about? I conjecture I privation not lone myself, but each drivers to beryllium getting retired of the car raving astir however awesome and amusive it is to drive. Which is thing that's not truly happening now."

In the aftermath of his post, van Gisbergen received enactment connected societal media from teammate Broc Feeney and different existent and erstwhile Supercars drivers, including Fabian Coulthard, James Moffat, and Russell Ingall.

Ingall, who made his 26th and past Bathurst 1000 commencement successful 2021, was peculiarly scathing of Skaife's response.

"You are entertaining capable connected the way you don't request to beryllium a comedian disconnected it," helium wrote.

"And a saying I unrecorded by is 'If you're going spray idiosyncratic past accidental it to their look oregon dont accidental it astatine all.'

"To springiness idiosyncratic an uppercut connected nationalist TV without close of reply is not on."

The Supercars play resumes astatine the Formula 1 Australia Grand Prix connected March 30-April 2.

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