Kiwi ace struggles in qualifying Bond warms up for Games in style
New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen looks set to relinquish his Supercars championship lead after a series of qualifying struggles at the Australian Grand Prix.
The Kiwi flyer won a pair of poles and race victories at the season-opening Adelaide meet but hasn’t threatened in qualifying at Albert Park.
He backed up fifth and seventh-placed finishes in qualifying on Thursday with 17th and 26th – last place – yesterday.
The 2016 series champion failed to set a time around the Melbourne street circuit in the final session.
He will start tomorrow’s final race from the last row.
Van Gisbergen’s struggles contrasted sharply with team-mate Jamie Whincup’s performance – he won two of the four poles available.
Triple Eight manager Mark Dutton said his team would be working overtime to get the No 97 car better balanced.
‘‘We still haven’t put our finger on that one little thing in the car that’s triggering off the chain reaction,’’ he said.
‘‘You can’t finesse it when you’re waiting for it to bite you. ‘‘But we’ve got some ideas.’’ Van Gisbergen hasn’t begun a Supercars race from last place in the field for three years.
Scott McLaughlin, who smashed the record for fastest qualifier in 2017, grabbed the other two poles available and looks set to be Whincup’s sternest test for maximum points – and the Larry Perkins Trophy – from the meet.
The Supercars are racing for points for the first time in 22 visits to the Grand Prix.
Holden drivers enjoyed better fortunes on Friday in qualifying, with Scott Pye the biggest improver after charting second and fifth-placed results.
In the demanding qualifying format, with 10-minute sessions that allow drivers just one chance at a flying lap, other drivers fell by the wayside. Two-time Olympic rowing champion Hamish Bond has taken another huge step towards potential success at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games by winning the elite men’s time trial on day one of the Oceania Road Cycling Championships in Tasmania yesterday.
Bond, who won gold medals in the coxless pair with Eric Murray at the last two Olympics in Rio and London, is excelling since switching boat for bike 18 months ago, and was named as part of New Zealand’s cycling team to compete on the Gold Coast next month.
The 32-year-old from Dunedin laid down a marker to rivals ahead of the Commonwealth Games on April 4-15, by winning the 41km test ride in 51min and 3.44sec in Evansdale near Launceston.
Bond was 32 seconds faster than second place, Australia’s Sean Lake, who was the two-time defending champion.
‘‘This was a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games. It is always good to get the win against some quality competition on what looked a benign course but it proved quite challenging,’’ Bond said.
After his triumph in Rio, Bond switched to cycling and, following a rowing career which included nine world championship wins, he won the elite men’s time trial at the national road cycling championships in Napier in January.
Meanwhile, Christchurch’s Jake Marryatt and Central Otago’s Mikayla Harvey won the men’s and women’s under-23 Oceania titles in Tasmania.