MOTORSPORT: Van Gisbergen is the F1 star

Chaz Mostert bagged a pair of big wins at Albert Park but it was not enough to derail the Shane train as the defending Supercars champion stole the biggest swag of points at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix on the weekend.

Two wins from four sprint starts at Albert Park gives Shane van Gisbergen six victories already in season 2022 as the pack continues to flounder behind the Red Bull racer.

A variety of rivals threatened van Gisbergen at times through the four-day meeting in Melbourne, with a resurgent David Reynolds threatening him for the Larry Perkins Trophy with three straight podium runs before the front suspension failed on his Ford Mustang on Sunday morning.

Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale were also quick in their Ford Mustangs, but the pace that gave them a front-row lockout for Race 4 was not repeated in the sprints as SvG was able to romp through his rivals.

He even managed to start at the back and finish third in the first race on Thursday, although a damaged tyre took him out of contention on Sunday.

“We obviously got the most points, which is great. But we should have smashed everyone,” said van Gisbergen after receiving the trophy from six-times Bathurst winner Larry Perkins.

“It was just cool. A real privilege to win that one. I love Larry and his history in the sport.

“Today [Sunday] is just disappointing. It sucked. Unfortunately the tyre let go.”

Mostert was celebrating his birthday on Sunday but there was no gift from van Gisbergen, and he had also taken himself out of contention on Saturday with a penalty after tagging James Courtney’s Mustang.

“This weekend didn’t quite pan out. I’m a little bit dirty on myself,” says Mostert.

Although De Pasquale now sits second in the points it was Davison who did better, but not good enough, for the Ford fighters.

“I’m feeling, of course, frustrated. Two poles, two podiums, three front rows. There are a lot of positives,” Davison says.

“We just didn’t have enough pace. It’s not through lack of trying.”

But Reynolds was the most disappointed driver, as the Grove Racing team continues to improve and he shared a podium with his teammate Lee Holdsworth.

“We were so close. I was headed for fifth in the last race and that would have been enough for the trophy,” Reynolds said.

The Repco Supercars Championship next moves to Wanneroo Park in Western Australia, just north of Perth, over April 30-May 1.

Race 1: 20 laps

Race 2: 20 laps

Race 3: 20 Laps

Race 4: 20 Laps

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