Premat: Triple Eight split a ‘tough decision’

The Frenchman landed one of the best seats in the field for the enduros last season, joining van Gisbergen in a Triple Eight Commodore after a two-year stint as a Garry Rogers Motorsport co-driver alongside McLaughlin.

The move to the crack Holden squad proved successful, Premat and van Gisbergen finishing second at the Sandown 500, second and the Bathurst 1000, and taking a win and a second place from the two races on the Gold Coast – culminating in the pair winning the Enduro Cup.

However, despite the success, Premat made the tough call to turn down the Triple Eight seat for 2017 and join his close friend McLaughlin in a DJR Team Penske Ford.

And while for many it was seen as a foregone conclusion, given the personal relationship between Premat and McLaughlin, Premat says it was anything but a straightforward decision.

“Of course it was a tough decision, to go from Triple Eight to DJR Team Penske,” Premat told Motorsport.com.

“I had two great options. With the Red Bull team and Shane, we had a great year last year, with the team dynamic and all that. But here, having Scott, having [engineering guru] Ludo [Lacroix] on board, it’s great. I’m living in the United States, so that link with Penske is good as well.

“But honestly, to make that call was a tough, tough, tough call. I was thinking about it for a week!

“I definitely believe that Team Penske is going to do everything to bring DJR Team Penske to the top. It’s not going to be easy, because the Triple Eight guys are very tough, and they’re fast at every track. But yeah, that’s the target – to show Supercars that another team can be the best guys in the field.”

Premat has already had his first taste of a DJR Team Penske Falcon, cutting a few laps during the ride day last week. But, like McLaughlin, he said it was tough to gauge much when you’ve got a passenger sitting in the car.

“At a ride day it was hard to see, particularly when you have some baggage on the left side! But it feels pretty good, I felt pretty comfortable straight away with the brakes, with the downforce, with the aero package,” he added.

“From the Volvo, to the Holden, to the Ford I’ve never felt a big difference during those rides.”