V8 drivers calm ahead of Phillip Island brakes test

As part of a new cost-saving measure, teams now can’t change brakes at any point after the Saturday qualifying session.

However, all three drivers who finished on the podium in yesterday’s opening 120-kay test say that conserving brakes wasn’t an issue yesterday – and none suggested it would be an issue today.

“I got told about the brakes; I wasn’t going overly hard but there is only so much you can do as well,” said Saturday’s race winner Scott McLaughlin

“We’ll find out [on Sunday], but they’re pretty strong so they should be alright.”

Jamie Whincup, who finished second, threw his support behind the new rule.

“I was going flat-out, I wasn’t conserving brakes [on Saturday] at all,” he said.

“We’ve had a few issues with cracking the last few race meetings, so we’ll do a full inspection – and I’m sure if anyone has got a cracked rotor they’ll be allowed to change it. I can’t see anyone saying ‘no, you can’t change brakes’ if they’re broken.

“It’s a great idea from the category, trying to contain costs so we’re not just throwing money down the drain.”

While DJR Team Penske admits it does have some braking stresses, centred around an understeer issue, driver Fabian Coulthard isn’t concerned ahead of today’s longer race.

“We’re all under the same constraints of only being able to use the one set, we’re all in the same boat,” said the Kiwi. “So we’ll just have to maximise what we have.”