‘The ego took over’: Will Brown despondent after costly Sandown mistake

Triple Eight driver Will Brown has admitted his ego got the better of him during a bruising opening race at the Sandown 500, with a critical spin and subsequent penalty leaving his championship hopes hanging by a thread.

speedcafe.com: Will Brown spun while battling with Brodie Kostecki during the Sandown 500 opener. Image: Jack Martin/Supplied

How the Sandown battle unfolded

Brown vaulted into the lead on Lap 14 during the opening cycle of pit stops, joining Dick Johnson Racing rival Brodie Kostecki in jumping pole-sitter Matt Payne. Controlling the field from a Lap 20 restart, Brown spent the next 15 laps aggressively defending his position, bunching the pack up as he managed handling difficulties in his Red Bull Ampol machine.

The resistance broke on Lap 36 when Kostecki launched a decisive overtake into Turn 1 to seize the lead. Attempting an immediate counter-attack into Turn 4, Brown locked his rear wheels, spun, and stalled, leaving his car stranded as the rest of the field streamed past.

Late penalty compounds miserable outing

While an ensuing Safety Car offered a glimmer of hope to recover ground, Brown’s afternoon unravelled further when he made contact with Brad Jones Racing driver Cameron Hill. Stewards subsequently issued a 15-second post-race penalty for the clash, demoting Brown from 18th across the line down to 20th.

Speaking on Fox Sports’ broadcast after the race, Brown expressed deep regret over the misjudgement that severely damaged his weekend.

“Firstly, I want to apologise to the team. I made a mistake out there – and a couple,” Brown said. “I’m very sorry to Red Bull Ampol Racing, all my fans that watch at home. I probably knew I didn’t have the car underneath me I knew I needed.”

“I thought I would make it a bit of a dogfight and see if I could heat their tyres up and keep them behind me until the next stint. Ultimately, at the end of the day, I was to-ing and fro-ing with myself in the car whether I let them go and just live to fight another day or I fight until the end. Unfortunately, we’re race car drivers. The ego took over and I thought I’m going to fight until the end.”

Championship ramifications for Triple Eight

The pace deficit was not isolated to Brown’s garage. Teammate Broc Feeney also drifted backward after early contention for the podium, ultimately crossing the line in 11th place on a circuit traditionally considered a stronghold for Triple Eight.

“It’s massive pressure this weekend and like I say, we didn’t have the car underneath us we needed and we were terrible then actually – both cars,” Brown added. “Look how far Broc dropped back. I just tried bringing that race craft in and tried making it as hard for the guys behind me as I could.”

The fallout places Brown in a precarious position heading into the remainder of the event. Sitting 88 points adrift of the Adelaide Grand Final cut-off, he effectively faces a must-win scenario in the second race. Feeney sits just one point clear of the cut-off threshold, with Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters trailing by a single point below the line.