Alex Premat says he has been pleasantly surprised by the ease of his transition to the Triple Eight Holden as he gears up for the Pirtek Enduro Cup.
The Frenchman has been the most scrutinised of the co-drivers leading up to the Sandown 500 due to limited racing miles this season and his potential impact on Shane van Gisbergen’s title chase.
Premat, 34, has spent the last two weeks adjusting to his new surroundings, which has included a ride day run at Sydney Motorsport Park and a full test day at Queensland Raceway.
The former Supercars full-timer at Garry Rogers Motorsport says the quality of Triple Eight’s machinery has helped him make a seamless switch to the team.
“I have spent one day in the car and it feels like four years worth of running at GRM,” Premat told Speedcafe.com.
“We did 60-70 laps in the car which allowed me to learn it and all the aspects of the team.
“It is such a great car, everything is smoother and I feel really comfortable behind the wheel.
“I have been through all the processes with the team.
“The team is outstanding and compared to Europe it is a top outfit like Porsche in FIA WEC.
“They are not missing anything. There is so much detail in everything they do, which makes the driver happy.
“I feel ready to race. I don’t feel that I’m missing any time in the car. All the boxes are checked.”
Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton has been impressed by Premat’s pace that saw him lap within 0.2s of Van Gisbergen during the test.
“Alex was super quick and early in the test day he was two tenths off Shane after he went out with some (decent) tyres,” Dutton told Speedcafe.com.
“We are really happy with him and not only has he gelled with the team well he loved driving the cars.
“He has been at the workshop every day and the whole team is buzzing to have him with us.”
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