Rookie driver Zach Bates has offered a classy take after seeing his hopes of a maiden Bathurst 1000 title go begging when a safety car was deployed in the dying stages of Sunday’s race. Brodie Kostecki was coming third at the time but swooped in for victory after race leader Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel on the last lap, with Bates hanging on for third to claim his first Supercars podium.
But many claimed Bates was robbed of his maiden Bathurst win, and called for changes to the safety car rules in Supercars that dudded the 22-year-old. Bates won the Top 10 shootout and was well poised to cap off an incredible weekend until Chaz Mostert crashed with five laps to go.
Bates had more than a three-second advantage over Kostecki at the time but saw that lead evaporate as the safety car brought the field together. Unlike in F1 – where virtual safety cars maintain the gaps between rival drivers – Supercars does not operate the same way.
Zach Bates responds after ‘unfair’ rule questioned
And fans insisted it ruined Bates’ chances of winning his maiden Bathurst title after describing the safety car rule as being “unfair”. But the 22-year-old has hosed down the controversy after pointing to Kostecki’s blistering speed on fresher tyres and suggesting the Dick Johnson Racing star would have caught him anyway.
“I don’t think I’d change too much, probably just not miss the apex at The Chase,” Bates said post-race. “Maybe if I got a run off there, but to be honest it was gonna happen. [Kostecki] had been so fast all day, and had a tyre in hand. I had a brief look at the timing and he did a six-something, he was lightning.”
Zach Bates delighted after maiden podium finish
Kostecki muscled his way past Bates into second when they started the penultimate lap, with Will Brown also overtaking the young gun before De Pasquale’s race ended with victory in sight. Nevertheless, it was a brilliant effort from Bates and co-driver Aaron Seton – who both scored maiden Supercars podium finishes.
Zach Bates (R) and co-driver Aaron Seton (L) scored their first Supercars podiums with a brilliant third-placed finish at the Bathurst 1000. Pic: Getty
“The woulda, coulda, shoulda thoughts do creep in, but at the end of the day it’s reality,” Bates said after coming so close to a remarkable victory. “So if you’d have told me at the start of the week that we would be on the podium, and got pole, I would’ve told you to… I can’t say on here.
“It’s also cool to share the podium with Will. I said that up in the press conference, the guy that’s helped me so much. And Aaron did an unbelievable job, so kudos to him. He stepped it up, and put it in a position for me to be able to do what I did.”