Jules Gounon has clinched three Bathurst 12 Hour victories in succession and become the first in history to secure three titles.
But GruppeM Racing is fuming after copping a penalty late in the race at Mount Panorama on Sunday.
GruppeM Racing’s Maro Engel overtook Sun Energy 1’s Gounon to pinch the lead at The Chase with 47 minutes remaining in the race, but he made contact with his rival and sent him spinning off the track.
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The incident was investigated and Engel was dealt a pit-lane penalty.
The German showed enormous fight in making up ground over the remainder of the race, but the pit-lane penalty proved too great a hurdle to overcome.
“For me, Jules was at the end of the braking zone, so I don’t know what Maro could do because he was committed to overtaking him already,” said GruppeM Racing teammate Mikael Grenier on the Fox Sports broadcast.
But Fox Sports commentator John Hindhaugh condemned Engel’s move.
“That was absolutely on the cards from the moment (Gounon) pulled out,” Hindhaugh said.
“That an overly optimistic lunge. There’s not much going for that at all.”
Bathurst great Garth Tander also argued that Engel was in the wrong.
“Engel jumped in behind Gounon like he wasn’t going to have a lunge and then stepped out and sent it,” Tander said.
“He’s up over the kerb and creates contact.
“It’s behind the rear wheel to start with.
“He sends it hard at the apex and he’s not far up there enough in reality to get that job done.
“The contact, front bumper to rear wheel, was the incriminating evidence.”
As Engel tried to peg back the deficit, Hindhaugh said the 37-year-old was “fired up like a volcano”.
Engel was visibly shattered following the race, but in an act of sportsmanship, he walked up to Gounon during an interview and gave his opponent a hug and a pat on the back.
Gounon and Engel had combined to win at Daytona just last week.
In the Bathurst 12 Hour, only 1.4 seconds split winner Gounon of France, the second-placed Matt Campbell and the third-placed Engel, after 323 laps, or 2006 kilometres.
Sun Energy 1 driver Kenny Habul delivered a priceless interview moments after the race.
“It’s unbelievable,” the Australian told Fox Sports.
“Luca (Stolz) and Jules just drove the balls off this car and I am so proud,” Habul said.
“Thanks to Mercedes-AMG and thanks to the town of Bathurst.
“This is the greatest.
“And I wanted to win outright.
“And, you know, I drove really well. I was proud of myself. And it was tough because I had old tyres from Luca when I got in.
“And I’m just really proud. Proud of everyone, proud of the team.
“Thank you.”
Habul was then asked what he’d do with the tyres that drove the team to victory, prompting a brilliant answer.
“Well first I’m going to run around the track naked,” he said, drawing laughs from those within earshot.
“And then after that, I’m going to drink a lot tonight.”
Gounon was ecstatic with his win.
“I’m dead,” he told Fox Sports.
“First of all, I want to say sorry to Maro for the contact.
“This week we had to fight.
“It’s going to be hard — that’s what I said. But to win Bathurst … I’m sorry … I’m really dead!
“Having to defend and seeing great drivers like Maro…
“We are destroyed, but Kenny did a great job this morning.
“I’m out of words, it’s amazing.”
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