Scott McLaughlin and Alex Prémat claim top-five Bathurst 1000 finish

[Emiel]

The Volvo Polestar Racing duo of Scott McLaughlin and Alexandre Prémat claimed a solid top-five finish in a challenging 2015 Bathurst 1000 race that saw changeable conditions and several crashes. The result in the 1000 kilometre race moves McLaughlin into the top ten of the championship.
”This has been a tough day, I did the longest stint in my life and it was really mentally draining with the wet and dry conditions. We set our car more towards wet conditions and it was a jet in the rain, but not so much in the dry. Fifth is a good result, my best at Bathurst and there is more to come,” said McLaughlin.

The Kiwi started the race from second position on the grid and claimed the lead early in the race. The different pit stop strategies and incidents during the race saw the Volvo duo moving up and down through the field to ultimately finish fifth, under ten seconds from the race winning duo of Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards.

”I am pretty happy about the race with fifth position. We wanted to go on the podium and we finished like a hundred meters from it. Scotty did a really good job, as well as the team with the strategy. Now we are looking forward to Gold Coast race and to bring back a surfboard like last year,” said Prémat.

The race came to an early end for team mates David Wall and Chris Pither due to a technical issue on lap 15.

”Obviously disappointing for everyone involved. It gave no warning; the engine just dropped a cylinder. That is the way it goes, bring on the Gold Coast,” said Wall.

”I am of course not happy with being out of the biggest race of the year. But that is racing sometimes and I look forward to the next race,” said Pither.

Fifth position in the Bathurst 1000 race moves McLaughlin from eleventh to ninth in the drivers’ championship behind reigning champion Jamie Whincup.

”I am happy to climb into the top ten. Alex did a fantastic job in the race today, the team gave me a great car and a great strategy. I can’t wait to head to the Gold Coast for our next race,” said McLaughlin.

Four race weekends remain of the 2015 V8 Supercars with the Gold Coast 600 race next up as the final endurance race, a race that saw McLaughlin and Prémat finishing on the podium last year.

”Scott, Alex and everyone in the team did a great job this weekend. We were in the top fight throughout the race and it was not far from becoming a podium finish. The result further confirms that we are back in the top after a tough first part of the season, promising for an even better final season end,” said Christian Dahl, of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Bathurst 1000 – V8 Supercars
Circuit: Mount Panorama Circuit
Length: 6213 m
Lap record (V8SC): 2:07.1226, Jamie Whincup, 2015

Results
Race 25 – Top 5
1 Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards Holden Commodore 161 laps
2 Mark Winterbottom/Steve Owen Ford Falcon +1.3654
3 Garth Tander/Warren Luff Holden Commodore +3.9516
4 Fabian Coulthard/Luke Youlden Holden Commodore +4.4166
5 Scott McLaughlin/Alexandre Prémat Volvo S60 +9.7147
…
DNF David Wall/Chris Pither Volvo S60

Championship Standings – Top 5
1 Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon 2491 points
2 Craig Lowndes Holden Commodore 2092 (-399)
3 David Reynolds Ford Falcon 1855 (-432)
4 Chaz Mostert Ford Falcon 2017 (-474)
5 Fabian Coulthard Holden Commodore 1934 (-557)
…
9 Scott McLaughlin Volvo S60 1434 (-1057)
24 David Wall Volvo S60 774 (-1717)

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