Van Gisbergen: I need to pick up my game for 2017

The Kiwi triumphed in a tense on-track battle between the two across the 2016 season, ultimately wrapping up the title a day early after needing just a fifth place from either of the two races in Sydney to seal the deal.

But while the points margin was comfortable in the end, it wasn’t one-way traffic at Triple Eight. Whincup had the measure of van Gisbergen pace-wise for large parts of the season, falling out of realistic contention only thanks to a horror run at Sandown and Bathurst, both races he could have won had it not been for a penalties.

Following his victory in the last race of the season in Sydney last Sunday, van Gisbergen admitted that he prioritised consistency over outright pace throughout the year – which was key to winning him the title – but that’ll he’ll need to ‘pick up his game’ if he’s to hold of Whincup again in 2017.

“As a driver I am always my harshest critic on making mistakes and I think I really improved that this year,” he said.

“For me it is a pretty cool moment to win it on consistency.

“Jamie was really fast at a lot of races this year. I need to pick up my game and now that I’ve found consistency search for some speed again. He’s a very good qualifier so I have to step that up a little bit more too.

“He doesn’t like losing, that’s one of his strengths. He is a very motivated guy and I think he come back stronger than ever next year.

“I am really looking forward to the battle, it has been awesome this year. We have got along really well on and off the track and I think it’s going to be good next year.”

Tribute to the Stones

Speaking to Fox Sports on Sunday evening, van Gisbergen paid tribute to Ross and Jim Stone, the men who plucked him out of obscurity and gave the then untried 17-year-old his Supercars break back in 2007.

“[I will] never forget the Stone Brothers, what they did for me picking me out of New Zealand,” he said. “It was a pretty big call, someone who had only been racing for two-and-a-half years coming straight into the main game in Supercars.

“I struggled those first couple of years, basically because I hadn’t done much racing. They gave me a good chance, kept pushing me a long, so I’m always thankful for what they did.”

It was the Stone Brothers who opted to put the New Zealand Formula Ford and Toyota Racing Series star in the satellite Team Kiwi entry for the Oran Park round, off the back of a test in an SBR Falcon at Queensland Raceway. Van Gisbergen then impressed enough to be promoted to the main team for the 2008 season, staying with the Yatala-based squad until he controversially left when Erebus took over at the end of 2012.

Fittingly, Ross and Jim Stone were inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame on the same evening van Gisbergen was officially crowned as Supercars champion.