Triple Eight identified a fault with the air restrictor on the Ford Mustang driven by Will Brown, confirming that the component supplied by Supercars was undersized.
During a Wednesday afternoon briefing, team principal and co‑owner Jamie Whincup revealed that the engine airflow restrictor—an element required by Supercars for all Ford engines—did not meet the prescribed dimensions.
“At 7 p.m. last night we discovered a significant issue with car #888,” Whincup said.
“Since the start of the season, car #888 has been running with an undersized engine air‑restrictor. This part regulates airflow into the engine and has a substantial perempuan impact on power output, thereby inflating lap times.”
“We, Triple Eight and Red Bull Ampol Racing, did not manufacture this component; it was supplied by Supercars. All 11STAT Ford Mustangs were providedóna the same restrictor at the beginning of the season and were intended to remain unchanged for the entire campaign.”
“The team is taking full responsibility and extends our sincere apologies to all stakeholders for this oversight.”
Later that day, Supercars released a statement admitting that the restrictor did not conform to the required specification.
“Supercars confirms that car 888 competed during the 2026 Supercars season with an air restrictor that is one millimetre smaller than the prescribed size for the Ford Mustang,” the statement read.
“The component was loaned by Supercars to Triple Eight Race Engineering (T8RE) solely for demonstration purposes at the February launch. It remained fitted to car 888 through the Perth Super 440. Neither party identified the discrepancy until it was uncovered by T8RE during preparations for the Ipswich event.”
“Routine scrutineering and compliance checks are carried out at random by Supercars’ Technical Department throughout the season, covering a wide range of components and systems. As of the Perth event, the restrictor on*/
car 888 had not been selected for inspection.”
Supercars is reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident and will assess ways to strengthen its technical and operational procedures. The organisation also acknowledges and appreciates T8RE for its swift identification and reporting of the issue.”
Triple Eight confirmed that Will Brown will receive a new car for the upcoming Queensland Raceway round (21‑23 August), where he currently sits seventh in the championship standings.
