Feeney and teammate Will Brown both headed to The Bend on Monday to drive the 2011-specification Red Bull Racing RB7 that had featured at the Adelaide Grand Final.
While it was hoped the special test laps would come amid championship celebrations, it instead provided the 23-year-old with a welcome distraction amid the devastation of defeat.
The outing was part of a Red Bull F1 and Supercars car swap that also featured Brendon Hartley and Scott Speed and will form part of a video piece being produced by the energy drink giant.
A closely guarded secret ahead of the day, Feeney spoke about the experience while on stage at the Supercars Gala Awards on Monday night.
“It was pretty cool. [Red Bull F1 advisor] Dr Helmut Marko just called me before, so you won’t need to put up with me next year,” he joked.
“It was unreal. My neck is a little bit sore, but it was a lot of fun and so fast.
“I’m sure for all of us in here, we dream of driving an F1 car one day, and I never thought that day would come true, so thanks to Red Bull for making that happen.
“That’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. It’s been a pretty tough 24 hours, but it certainly put a smile on my face.”
While Feeney had flagged in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s race that we’d likely not hear from him for a while, he was required on stage three times at the Gala.
The youngster was honoured as the winner of the Sprint Cup, the Barry Sheene Medal that is now based on fan votes and the Jim Richards Award, voted on by officials.
Feeney, who came out firing this year after being beaten to the title by new teammate Brown in 2024, paid tribute to the support given by his team.
“It is tough at the end of the year, always going ‘there’s always next year’,” he said.
“You’ve got to keep coming back and trying to be stronger and I felt like I made a huge jump this year and tried to leave no stone unturned.
“I think the work ethic that the #88 crew puts in and the whole of Red Bull Ampol Racing, it’s something that I’m so proud to be a part of.
“A few people have touched on it, but the way my team’s conducted themselves over the past 24 hours, I’m just so proud to be a part of this group of people.
“Coming in as a young guy, I want to be surrounded by people that I look up to and wanted to grow up and be like.
“I’m so proud to be a part of Red Bull Ampol Racing and I’ve no doubt I’ll be sticking with them for the rest of my life.”
Feeney joined Triple Eight in 2021, winning the Super2 Series with the squad before graduating to the Supercars Championship the following season.
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