Ryan was a notable absentee from the Hidden Valley event, the team figurehead believed to have been on holidays for the annual trip to the Top End.

That meant Tremain, appointed as team principal earlier this year, was at the helm of the squad without the physical support of Ryan for the first time this season.

Reflecting on that experience on Sunday evening, Tremain explained how his role had changed thanks to Ryan’s absence – as well as how Ryan had been in constant contact.

“Yeah, there are quite a few jobs that Baz takes care of when he’s here,” said Tremain.

“The more I take on, the more I could pass on to the guys underneath me.

“I enjoyed it, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

“Baz hasn’t been here, but he’s been on the phone to me all weekend with advice and encouragement. He’s not here, but he’s still here.”

It was a rollercoaster weekend for the reigning champions, with Brodie Kostecki’s progress on Friday and Saturday hampered by mechanical gremlins.

That led to Kostecki not even making the start of Saturday’s race, which forced an overnight engine change.

Kostecki and the team bounced back in fine style on Sunday, though, the #1 Camaro qualifying second and finishing third, while Jack Le Brocq finished the race sixth.

When asked if he felt he’d done a good job across the weekend, Tremain said: “Not yesterday [Saturday], no. That was a real bad job.

“But it’s good to get back on the podium. We really needed a day like [Sunday] to help build some momentum.

“So we’ll use that. And we’ll just keep going. We’ve got a few procedures to tidy up, a bit of time to find in pitlane, so we’ll work on that and just keep moving forward and getting better.”