Speak of a sensational defection from one of many 5 Ford groups has been gaining traction for the reason that latest Sydney SuperNight.
Modifications had been made to the Ford rear aero package deal for Towsnville after a parity assessment was triggered after Darwin.
Townsville did yield a season-first win for a Ford driver, though that was extra to do with tyre technique than outright tempo.
The Camaros had been again on prime in Sydney with little in the best way of optimism that the Ford woes have been solved.
Frustration over the scenario has fuelled the speak {that a} crew might leap ship subsequent season and re-skin its vehicles as Camaros.
The chief suspect to a possible change is Grove Racing, proprietor Stephen Grove taking part in down the notion when quizzed by Motorsport.com, however not ruling it out completely.
“That is not on our agenda at this stage,” he mentioned. “You by no means say by no means, nevertheless it’s not on our agenda.
“We consider in Ford, Ford has been improbable by means of this complete course of with us as a crew. And for those who have a look at the work that is been achieved, it is taken some time for everyone to grasp the seriousness that the Ford isn’t the place the GM is.
“I do know there’s been some feedback made by different crew house owners that possibly us Ford guys aren’t doing an excellent job – that is truth, within the sense for those who have a look at the place we’re with race wins, and even the groups’ championship, throughout the board with Ford.
“But it surely’s a fairly large remark to make. We’ve not forgotten what we’re doing.
“So [a switch is] actually not on the agenda in the mean time, however we want to verify we tick the entire bins, in all areas, to be aggressive.”
A variety of avenues have been explored all through the season as far as Supercars has seemed to search out parity between vehicles that are actually similar aside from the engine and bodywork.
There was an aero tweak to the Camaro earlier than the opening spherical in Newcastle, earlier than a flurry of various engine maps on all sides of producer divide because the quad cam Ford V8 struggled to match the pushrod Chevrolet V8.
The engines are nonetheless operating completely different shift reduce deltas.
The rear aero change then got here for Townsville as focus shifted away from motors and again to aero.
Based on Grove the problem is undoubtedly aero, one thing he is not positive will likely be mounted at any level this season.
He’s, nonetheless, assured the problem will likely be sorted forward of spherical 1 subsequent yr.
“The issue initially was that everyone had a special view on what the precise downside was,” he mentioned. “Was it motor? Mechanical? Aero? And whether it is aero, what half? Is it tyre life? Is all of it of it?
“I feel we’re beginning to slender it down, now. Our view is that it is aero. There’s quite a bit you are able to do with motor to paritise them again to one another, with shift cuts and people types of issues. Principally we simply use our tyres an excessive amount of. And we’ve got a difficulty with aero.
“It is a lengthy bow to attract to have two completely different surfaces throughout two completely different vehicles and anticipate to get parity on aero. It is extremely sophisticated to realize.
“I feel they’re near working that out. You have to watch out. In Sydney we added extra downforce on the [rear] wing, 30 or 40 kilo of no matter that quantity was. However that created drag which affected our prime pace. One repair for one merchandise may offset one thing else.
“I am assured we’ll get to [parity]. Will we get to it this yr? Will we’ve got full parity by the top of the yr? I do not know. Am I assured we’ll have parity by the beginning of subsequent yr? The reply is sure.”
