Red Bull Racing Australia’s 2015 V8 Supercars season has been capped off in impressive fashion today, clinching their seventh Teams Championship on the streets of Sydney Olympic Park.
After clawing back Prodrive’s lead yesterday, the squad finished 220 points ahead to take its sixth consecutive title, ensuring primary pit lane position for what is shaping up to be an epic 2016 season.
Sunday’s longer 250km race saw J Dub finish second behind winner Shane van Gisbergen, while in the #888 Holden Commodore Craig showed grit and determination to end his final race of the year P6 after starting P13.
Overall, Lowndesy showed no signs of slowing down at the ripe age of 41 and finished his year with a record sixth Bathurst win and placed second behind Mark Winterbottom to give the title fight one hell of a shake.
For Jamie, it’s been a year neither he nor the team had anticipated, however despite an Endurance Season to forget, he rediscovered his dominant best in the back part of the year, notching up nine podiums over his last nine starts – five of those being wins – to make sure he ended the year fifth in the Drivers Championship.
JAMIE WHINCUP (VF Holden Commodore, Car #1)
Qualifying Race Three: 5th (Fastest Lap – 1:28.4131)
Top 10 Shoot Out: 3rd (Fastest Lap – 1:28.1987)
Race Three: 2nd
Championship: 5th (2647 points)
Jamie Whincup:
“I’m a little disappointed to end the weekend with a mistake. The radio wasn’t working that flash and I was just trying to keep communicating. I got distracted and ran up the escape road. All in all there’s plenty to celebrate with us winning the Teams Championship. To finish fifth overall in the Drivers Championship is also a good climb back from where I was after the endurance season. Today was really about trying to achieve the Teams Championship for Red Bull Racing Australia and we were able to do that.”
CRAIG LOWNDES (VF Holden Commodore, Car #888)
Qualifying Race Three: 13th (Fastest Lap – 1:28.6446)
Top 10 Shoot Out: N/A
Race Three: 6th
Championship: 2nd (3008 points)
Craig Lowndes:
“I got a reasonable start today and really had to be patient. There was a bit of carnage in front of me and it was quite entertaining to be honest. Knowing that we had more fuel on board we just had to wait for our time. Once we got some clean air the car was quick and I was able to stretch out a few good laps in the middle part of the race. To finish sixth from where we started was a pretty good effort and it was a great team effort to win the Teams Championship. The guys have worked really hard all year and it’s a credit to them.”
