Whincup comments ‘offensive’, apology sought

GOLD COAST: The head of Australian motorsport’s governing body has demanded an official apology from Supercars star Jamie Whincup for his postrace comments towards officials in New Zealand.

Whincup questioned the professionalism of race officials following Sunday’s controversial race at Pukekohe Park which was marred by safety car chaos early in the 70lap event.

The seventime series champion passed the safety car without permission after being incorrectly identified as race leader and received a drivethrough penalty, before finishing 16th.

After the race Whincup said officials’ brains were ‘‘not with it’’ and they were ‘‘cruising back, having a few glasses of red each night’’ in a TV interview — comments he has since expressed regret for making.

That public regret may not yet prevent Whincup facing sanctions after Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (Cams) chief executive Eugene Arocca labelled the comments ‘‘disgraceful’’ and ‘‘offensive’’.

‘‘I’m struggling to find a more offensive comment about an official at a highlevel sport ever, other than cheating. This is just one step down,’’ Arocca told Motorsport.com yesterday. ‘‘We’re pretty upset about it.’’ He said stewards had made the right decisions regarding the use of the safety car.

A letter sent from Cams to Whincup accuses the Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver of breaking national competition rules.

Possible sanctions Whincup faces range from race bans and monetary fines to ‘‘community service’’, similar to that imposed on Formula One driver Max Verstappen following an incident in Brazil last year. — AAP