The recent slump in performance by the Triple Eight Ford team in the Supercars championship has sparked discussions and analysis from veteran racer Craig Lowndes. As a former driver with the team, Lowndes offers a unique perspective on the challenges they face.
Lowndes acknowledges the team's struggle, noting that the transition from General Motors (GM) to Ford has been a significant challenge. He explains, "It was always going to be a difficult year for Triple Eight, moving from GM to Ford. Normally they’re the leading team for their manufacturer, and everyone else is chasing their set-up. Now, they’re looking at Groves, Tickford and DJR to understand how to make the Mustang fast."
The team's current situation is a stark contrast to their previous dominance. Lowndes highlights the team's internal efforts to address the issues, stating, "I have no doubt they’re working hard in the background to understand the Ford and put more tools in the toolbox in the effort to close the gap."
One of the key challenges is the team's struggle to find the right setup for their drivers, Broc Feeney and Will Brown. Lowndes emphasizes the importance of driver input in the development process, "You can’t just get an engineer to put a winning set-up in the car, not knowing what the driver wants. It’s a combination of everyone’s input into finding speed."
The team's recent performances have been inconsistent, with strong qualifying results followed by disappointing race finishes. Lowndes points out, "You saw over the weekend that the cars were weak in qualifying, but were quick in the race."
Despite the current struggles, Lowndes remains optimistic about the team's ability to turn things around. He believes that the team's debrief sessions and attention to detail will lead to improvements. "At the very least, they have to get consistency back," he said. "We talk about drivers who had great performances one weekend, but fall down the order the next. At the moment, that’s exactly where they are."
The team's challenges are further emphasized by the championship standings. Broc Feeney lost the lead to Matt Payne from Grove Racing and now trails by 92 points. Will Brown is in seventh place, and the team is 132 points behind the pacesetters. Lowndes concludes by acknowledging the team's efforts and their journey towards improvement, "Those reactions put pressure back on the team internally."
In summary, Craig Lowndes' commentary highlights the complexities of the Triple Eight Ford team's transition to Ford and their ongoing search for consistency. His insights provide a valuable perspective on the team's challenges and their efforts to regain their competitive edge in the Supercars championship.
