[JC Ohope]

Winterbottom: FPR's performance was embarrassing

ORRCON Steel FPR Falcon driver Mark Winterbottom has labeled his team’s performance at last weekend’s Coates Hire Ipswich 300 as “embarrassing” after the factory Ford team failed to have a car finish in the top half of the field in Sunday’s 65-lap Race 18 of the V8 Supercars Championship.

Winterbottom, who could only manage 19th in the race and now sits seventh in the championship, tweeted post-race to apologise to fans.

“That was embarrassing,” he tweeted.

“I’m sorry to every supporter who had to watch that. No grip whatsoever.

“I’m not embarrassed by how I drove just at how bad the car was. All of our FPR cars finished 19th onwards.

“It’s time to fix it now!”

The soft Dunlop tyres – used at Queensland Raceway and a range of other events on the 2011 schedule – have proven to be a major stumbling block for FPR all year.

They will not be in play for the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, but Winterbottom does see light at the end of the tunnel for the team.

“I have full faith we will get there,” he said.

“It was one of those weekends where nothing went our way, so after our debrief we’ll look to the endurance races where we should be strong.

“Richo (co-driver Steve Richards) and I work really well together and we will have a new chassis for Phillip Island so things should be on the up.”

History shows that Winterbottom has been strong in the L&H 500 at Phillip Island too.

In 2008 he and Richards finished fourth, in 2009 they took pole position and finished third and last year, Winterbottom and Luke Youlden finished second.