Payne broke through for a maiden victory on the final day of his rookie season, while Stanaway has returned to full-time driving after a period of exile from motorsport followed by a triumphant return.
The Penrite Racing duo are today set to complete their first test day of 2024 at Winton after the latter shook down his brand-new Ford Mustang in the past 24 hours.
With both on-track, the 2023 Bathurst 1000 winner will have a reference within the team, and a handy one at that.
“I think it’s been great for the team that he won that last race because, for me, it just validates him as a benchmark,” Stanaway told Speedcafe.
“Now, when we go testing, I know I have a benchmark that can win races.
“So, it just makes all of his data and onboard that much more valuable, both to me as a team-mate and to the team as a whole.”
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Stanaway has moved back to Australia for his Grove Racing opportunity and lives relatively close to its Braeside workshop, where he has spent plenty of time in the off-season.
The New Zealander had retired himself from motorsport after a tumultuous first stint as a Supercars full-timer, during which he suffered with underperforming teams – and the misfortune of a neck injury – although at least his public image took a battering through self-inflicted wounds.
Nevertheless, he was thrown a lifeline with a Boost Mobile-backed, Erebus Motorsport-run wildcard in 2022 and was re-energised further by the plum co-driver gig with Shane van Gisbergen at Triple Eight Race Engineering, which produced a Great Race victory.
In fact, according to Stanaway, he is more excited than he has been in more than a decade – all the way back to when he last won a title, in German Formula 3 in 2011.
“I’ve been getting on really well with everybody,” said Stanaway.
“I just haven’t been this excited for a season since 2011, so yeah, just in a very good space at the moment.
“Obviously, I was with a great team last year, but it was only in a part-time capacity,” he added.
“Whereas, this year, I get to do to the full season.
“I’m just excited to be with a team that has a capability of winning and to be here for the full season.”
Grove and the Blanchard Racing Team will both be on-track today at Winton with both of their Mustangs.
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