Car #17 driven by Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat will never and should never be considered as the winners of the 2019 Bathurst 1000.
Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske (DJRTP) have shown a complete lack of integrity by issuing an illegal team order to car #12 driven by Fabian Coulthard to tarnish our nations great race.
Whilst one must acknowledge that Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat both did nothing personally wrong, and drove really well all weekend, the lengths their team went to give car #17 an unfair advantage cannot be ignored.
The historic Bathurst 1000 endurance race was held on Sunday the 13th of October 2019 and is one of Australia's premier motor sport events. The race distance is 1000km, 161 laps and takes approximately 6hours to complete. Having the right team strategy is key to winning the event. A major consideration in these strategies is deciding when to pit for fuel as it is a relatively slow process. To minimise time lost refuelling, most teams attempt to get their refuel completed whilst a safety car is deployed as the rest of the cars on the track must slow down.
Most teams rely on the high probability that there will be one or more safety cars deployed near the end of the race to conduct their final fuel stops. These safety cars may not arise when it would best suit them, so teams need some flexibility in their strategy. The best planned strategy can become unviable due to the unpredictability of safety cars and then benefit other teams using alternate strategies.
Because teams share one pit garage for 2 cars, teams try to avoid bringing both cars into the pits at the same time to avoid what is known as double stacking. That is where the second car has to wait in pitlane for their team mate to finish refuelling. This usually results in the 2nd car losing track position to competitors.
Once a safety car is called, no one is allowed to overtake the car infront of them until the safety car exits the track and normal racing resumes. The only exception to this is if a car enters the pits, it voids its right not to be overtaken. Cars who complete their pitstop faster or do not pit may overtake a car conducting a pitstop.
= Car #12 and car #17 are team mates and race for Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske. Car #17 was the fastest car all weekend during practice and qualifying.
= Lap 124 - Car #97 and others pitted for fuel under the safety car caused by an accident at The Chase (Corner 21). Car #888, car #17 and car #12 had already passed the pit lane entrance so missed their chance to pit.
= Lap 135 - A safety car is called and full course yellows are waved after a car crashes at Murrays, the 23rd and last corner of the circuit.
= Car #888 was leading the race, followed closely by car #17, car #12 was 3rd, car #7 was 4th and car #34 was 5th.
= The lead cars were at The Cutting (Aprox Corner 5) when the safety car signs are displayed.
= Car #12 was 1 SECOND behind car #17.
= Car #888 and car #17 sprint to the pits as they were both low on fuel.
= The engineer for car #17 radios... "PUSH PUSH!" instructing them to get into the pits as fast as possible.
= Car #888 completes a full refuel and exits the pits in first place and takes position behind the safety car. Car #17 also completes a full refuel and re-joins in second place but is seperated from car #888 by 2 lapped cars.
= Whilst car #888 and car #17 are conducting their pitstops, car #12 has slowed down to a crawl.
= Car #12 is now 47 SECONDS behind car #17.
= All the cars behind car #12 are not allowed to overtake during a safety car period. This resulted in stretching the distance from second place to third by over 1 kilometre!!!
The engineer for car #12 radios...
"Slow Down, Slow Down, Slow Down, Debriss Debriss Debriss"
"Caution I don't know where the incident is"
"I think it is on the mountain somewhere, slow down slow down"
A very different message than what was given to their team mate in car #17.
The officials deemed what car #12 did was unacceptable and gave car #12 a "Drive Through" pit lane penalty for not maintaining a 5 car lengths to the vehicle in front of it whilst under the safety car condition.
When questioned by a reporter in the pits, Team Prinicpal Ryan Story claimed the reason car #12 was going so slowly was because the car was over heating.
After that incident:
= Car #888 led the race but was marginal on fuel to make it to the end. Their team rightly or wrongly decided to pit for fuel on the next safety car and went on to finish in 4th place.
= Car #17 also marginal on fuel took the lead after car #888 pitted and thanks to additional safety cars saved enough fuel to cross the finish line ahead of the field. After a week long investigation and a CAMS hearing they were declared the winners on the 20th of October 2019.
= Car #97 crossed the line in second place less than 1 second behind car #17.
= Car #22 finished third.
= Car #97 still having half a tank of fuel and not wanting to double stacking behind their team mate in car #888, was originally not going to pit under the lap 135 safety car. Car #97's engineers original radio instructions were to "Stay out" and would have overtaken car #888 and #17 who were in the pits. Car #97 would have taken the lead of the race. They did not have enough fuel to make it to the end but were running a different strategy.
HYPOTHESIS: If car #12 didn't hold up the field, car #97 wouldn't have had to change their strategy and be forced into taking an early pit stop.
= Some cars would have immediately gone into the pits but due to having more fuel still in their fuel tanks, would have had a much shorter pit stop than both car #17 and car #888 and would most likely have led them out of the pits. This includes car #9 and car #22.
HYPOTHESIS: If car #12 didn't hold up the field, other cars would have exited the pits with full fuel ahead of car #17
= Other cars in the lead pack on different strategies would not have gone to the pits and would have been ahead of car #888 and car #17. These cars would then attempt to break away from car #888 and car #17 in the hope of another safety car being called before refuelling.
HYPOTHESIS: If car #12 didn't hold up the field, there would have been traffic ahead of car #17 running different strategies They were now denied the opportunity to play out these strategies fairly.
= Cars that were one lap down were also held up and may have been denied the opportunity to un-lap themselves if not held up by car #12. These cars would have then re-joined the back of the pack behind the safety car and be back on the lead lap. This would put them back in contention for a strong race result.
HYPOTHESIS: If car #12 didn't hold up the field, some teams may have had a chance to get back on the lead lap.
Therefor it is with absolute certainty that if car #12 didn't illegally hold back the field by over 1 kilometre, car #17 would have had to overtake other competitors to claim the win. Some running the same strategy as them and others who were using different strategies.
Overtaking lead cars is a difficult task at Bathurst at the best of times but made all the harder at the end of the day due to fatigue and the accumulation of debris and rubber marbles off the racing line. One must also contend with competitors in the lead and their absolute determination not to give up their chance at a Bathurst 1000 victory.
In essence, car #12 holding up the entire field by over 1 kilometre, gave their team mate car #17 a free, unchallenged pitstop to take on full fuel and maintain their position in 2nd place.
Therefor car #12's unsportsman like and illegal actions definitely impacted the outcome of the race and gave their team mate in car #17 an unfair advantage which resulted in them crossing the finish line ahead of the other competitors.
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) is the governing body of motor sport in Australia and a member body of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the international regulator of motor sport.
Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske pleaded guilty and were found guilty of infringing the principles of fairness in competition and behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner.
CAMS officials rubbished the teams claim they didn't know where the incident was as all teams monitor the television coverage to help with decision making. The accident that caused the safety car was at the last corner (Murray's), no where near where car #12 was (The Cutting).
CAMS officials also rubbished the idea that car #12 was overheating. DJRTP failed to present any evidence to the enquiry that the car was over-heating and that it infact cooled down when driving at a slower speed even though all teams record this data.
- DJRTP were fined $150,000 with an additional $100,000 suspended on good behaviour.
- DJRTP lost the 300 Team Points they got for Car #17 winning the race.
- DJRTP Car #12 was classified in last place of the finishers.
CAMS Stewards stated "We are prepared to assume that there was no intention to advantage Car #17"
DJRTP accepted the findings.
It must be mentioned that both the monetary and points fine is the largest punishment allowed under CAMS rules.
The team orders from Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske to car #12 for which they were found guilty by CAMS on the 20th of October 2019 definitely affected the outcome of the race and assisted car #17 in crossing the line ahead of other competitors.
It should not matter if it cannot be proven that they did this intentionally to help car #17.
The fact is the ILLEGAL tactic they were found guilty of did inevitably give car #17 an unfair advantage.
The fact they also lied to officials by saying they slowed down because car #12 was overheating shows a complete lack of integrity from the team. Everyone in motor sport knows you need more car speed which generates more airflow through your radiator to cool an engine. The fact they didn't present any engine temperatue telemetry or data (which all teams record) all but dismisses this claim.
The fact that the engineer for car #12 mispronouncing the word debris as 'debriss' has also created speculation. Was he reading a note handed to him from someone else higher up in the team. He has denied this claim.
The team orders to car #12 prevented other teams from having a 'fair' chance to run their own strategies and attempt to win or be on the podium. This cannot be denied.
Being a team sport, and that a team decision was consciously made to gain an unfair advantage, both DJRTP cars #12 and #17 should have been excluded from the results.
= A monetary fine of $150,000 is not a significant deterrent to a top racing team. A small amount to buy a Bathurst 1000 victory.
= Even with the loss of 300 team points the team is still leading the Supercars Team Championship. Again, this is not an effective deterrent or punishment.
= Relegating car #12 to last place in the race also does little to impact the team. DJRTP has shown they were already happy to sacrifice that cars result to benefit car #17 as was demonstrated with the team order.
Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske have gotten away with one of the biggest scandals in Australian Motorsport history. The penalty they received is not sufficient for bringing our country's biggest touring car race of the year into disrepute.
= CAMS Stewards Findings - cams.com.au
DJTPR found guitly of of infringing the principles of fairness in competition and behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner.
= Pitstop Analysis - SpeedCafe.com.au
Likely positioning of cars after pitstop in question.
= Team Radio - MMM
Team Radio between DJRTP and car #12 followed by Team Radio between RBHRT and car #97
= Team Radio + Video Footage - Supercars
= Team Radio + Video Footage - YouTube
Team Radio and video between DJRTP and car #12 followed by Team Radio between RBHRT and car #97
= Enforcer and the Dude Episode 12 - YouTube
Russell Ingal and Paul Morris discuss the violation.
= Greg Murphy Pit Lane Interview - news.com.au
Ryan Story blaming overheating
= Below the Bonnet Podacst
Discussion of cheating by Andrew van Leeuwen, David Reynolds, Michael Caruso and Barry Ryan
= Coulthard team influenced Bathurst - Yahoo
Garth Tander accuses DJRTP of illegally manipulating race.
= Erebus CEO calls for disqualification - news.com.au
Penrite Racing boss Barry Ryan claims DJRTP cheated to win.
= Stewards absolve McLaughlin/Premat in Bathurst 1000 team orders breach findings
= Lowndes says DJRTP penalty speaks volumes
= Supercars fans savage punishment handed out to DJRT Penske after Bathurst controversy
= Hitler Parody - Penske Reacts - YouTube
= The Motorsport Show - Bathurst penalty discussion - Facebook
= The burning questions from the Bathurst 1000 scandal
Discalimer: Whilst there is obviously a lot of passion behind this incident and so there should be, it must be made crystal clear no anymosity is held personally towards the drivers or team members of DJRTP. There have been reports that threats of physical violence have been made towards the team. This is completely unacceptable and should not to be tolerated. Whilst it is ok to be dissapointed at what happened, in the end of the day it is still just a motor race. Granted the most important race of the calender year, but a car race none the less. Keep it civil people!