The lingering questions from the Bathurst 1000 scandal
DJR Team Penske's actions late-on in the Bathurst 1000 overshadowed what was a landmark triumph for its lead Supercars driver. But how did the team find itself in trouble in the first place, and why was it not stripped of victory?
The resistance Scott McLaughlin offered to fend off Shane van Gisbergen should have been the perfect way for the runaway Supercars leader to end his wait for a first Bathurst 1000 win. But doubt was almost immediately cast over his and co-driver Alexandre Premat's victory when DJR Team Penske was charged with a team orders breach.
McLaughlin was ultimately allowed to keep the win - though only after a hearing last weekend found Penske had contravened an 'obligation of fairness' rule from the FIA's sporting code. The violation earned the team a $250,000 suspended fine and cost it 300 Supercars' team points.
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Andrew van Leeuwen is Motorsport.com's Australian Editor and provides award-winning coverage of Supercars. He started his career working for Australasian Motorsport News in Melbourne, working his way into the top digital editor role before relocating to Mainz, Germany, in 2012. During his three-year stint in Europe he covered a number of series, including the DTM, while working for Autosport, before returning to Australia as part of Motorsport.com's global expansion in early 2015. Alongside his Motorsport.com commitments Andrew is one-third of the successful Below the Bonnet podcast. He lives in Perth with his wife Anne, kids Nico and Billie and chihuahua Coco.
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