Van Gisbergen: No read on V8 form

While the three-car Triple Eight squad has been the most consistent performer across the first two races weekends of the season – particularly at the Australian Grand Prix, where all three T8 Commodores ran right at the front of the non-championship event – new signing van Gisbergen isn’t being sucked into the hype just yet.

The Kiwi says it is still too early to make a definitive call on form, with Prodrive, the Holden Racing Team, and Penske all having shown signs of pace so far this season.

“It’s so close this year, there have been no real standouts,” said van Gisbergen.

“In Adelaide there were so many fast guys; Penske got a couple of poles, PRA got one. It’s close, it’s all close.

“We might have to wait a couple of rounds to see. Every track, there seems to be strengths for different types of car. It’s pretty hard to tell.”

With no points on offer at Albert Park, the T8-run Red Bull Racing Australia team has a narrow constructors' title lead over the Holden Racing Team, the two squads sharing the Saturday wins in Adelaide.

Penske, meanwhile, already has two poles to its name, Prodrive has one, while Nissan driver Michael Caruso currently leads the drivers' points.