Record fine after Bathurst

SUPERCARS series leader Scott McLaughlin has kept his Bathurst 1000 title but his Ford outfit DJR Team Penske has paid a heavy price for its controversial safety car tactics at Mount Panorama.

After a Saturday hearing, governing body Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) announced they had fined McLaughlin’s team $250,000 and deducted 300 championship points for an FIA International Sporting Code breach in The Great Race last weekend.

It is the biggest fine in Supercars history but $100,000 has been suspended until the end of 2021.

McLaughlin emerged unscathed but Ford teammate Fabian Coulthard was demoted from sixth in the Bathurst results to 21st after his safety car “go slow”, effectively relegating him to last after five of the 26strong field failed to finish.

The CAMS decision drops Coulthard from third to fourth in the drivers’ series, 907 points adrift of McLaughlin who was no doubt breathing easier yesterday. The penalty also reduces DJR Team Penske’s teams championship lead over Red Bull Holden Racing Team to 423 points.

There were fears McLaughlin may be stripped of his maiden Bathurst win when officials announced the results would remain provisional after initially charging his team with breaching team orders regulations over Coulthard’s safety car controversy.

A then third-placed Coulthard copped flak after he dramatically slowed down during a safety car period — in which cars can’t overtake —– and held up the Bathurst field behind his teammate McLaughlin with 26 of the race’s 161 laps left.

His tactics eliminated the fuel advantage of hard charging Holden star Shane van Gisbergen who eventually finished second, just 0.68 seconds behind McLaughlin. DJR Team Penske initially claimed they asked Coulthard to slow down due to debris on the track and concerns for an overheating engine.

It is another blow for Coulthard who has received vile social media attacks in the wake of the controversy.