The Engine That Could Have Won: A Cautionary Tale of Negligence and Oversight A recent revelation that Will Brown's Supercars car had been running with an undersized engine airflow restrictor for 25 races is a stark reminder of the importance of attention to detail in high pressure competition.
The part, meant as a demonstration tool provided by Supercars for the Red Bull Triple Eight Race Engineering team's launch in February, somehow remained on Brown's car. The impact of this mistake cannot be overstated.
According to team principal Jamie Whincup, the undersized restrictor cost Brown around 0. 15 seconds per lap – a small margin that can make all the difference between victory and disappointment.