Penske, Triple Eight await protest decision

Van Gisbergen escaped penalty for spinning wheels during his second pitstop in yesterday's opening 200-kilometre race, which meant keeping a hard-fought race win and closing the gap to series leader Scott McLaughlin to just two points.

However the Ford team immediately protested the decision, which led to a hearing at the New Zealand circuit this morning.

The hearing itself has now been concluded, with both sides waiting to see whether van Gisbergen or McLaughlin will ultimately be declared the race winner.

As decision is expected later today.

"We’ve spent some time in there, we’ve put our case forward," said DJRTP team manager Ben Croke.

"The stewards have adjourned the hearing and they’re going to come back to us with a result later on.

“We’ll wait and see. We’ve presented a pretty good case. They’ve heard determinations from Michael Masi, DRD, and they will make their decision in due course.”

Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton added: "The protest wasn’t technically actually against Triple Eight, it was against Michael Masi, the Deputy Race Director and his decision yesterday.

"I was there clearly because it effects our car, to have a say. Everyone had their say and now it’s up to the stewards.

“We think there’s been consistency with how the Deputy Race Director has made his decisions. There’s clear precedence set at Bathurst this year, unfortunately for the car, both precedents happened on car #9 – an early one which was a breach but no penalty required, the same as Shane’s, and then they also had one that did require a penalty.

"All we ask for, everyone up and down pit lane is consistency; I believe there has been consistency in these decisions.”