Ford great feels good in a Holden
MOTORSPORT: His move to Holden may not sit well with some fans, but Ford great Mark Winterbottom says he is very comfortable in his Commodore ahead of this weekend’s Supercars opening round in Adelaide.
The former championship winner admitted he felt anxious before getting into a Holden for the first time after 13 years with Ford flagship Tickford Racing.
No doubt his nerves weren’t helped by the heat he copped from Ford fans on social media.
“I was a bit anxious coming in because you have signed up for something which you think is going to work but you don’t know,” Winterbottom said.
“It’s gamble with any team that you choose. There was a bit of anxiety jumping into the car for the first time wondering ‘What are we going to do?’”
Winterbottom, 37, felt he had no choice but to look for another team after failing to crack the top five in the drivers’ standings since his 2015 series win.
His low point came last year with a 12th overall placing after he failed to win a single race.
Still, it would have been a culture shock moving from Tickford Racing’s four-car, 60-staff set-up to Holden’s single- vehicle Team 18 outfit and its 12 employees.
But the 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner reckons he is more than comfortable with a move he hopes will revitalise his career.
“I feel pretty comfortable .... sitting in the car with the seat height, brake pedals, throttles – all feel comfortable, which is good,” he said.
“It sounds basic but you do get used to certain seating positions after a while), but I feel comfortable. I am having a ball.”