Walkinshaw Andretti United Team Principal Bruce Stewart has vowed the squad will regroup after a “kick in the guts” in the Sandown 500.

2021 Bathurst 1000-winning duo Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth and Nick Percat/Fabian Coulthard were classified 22nd and 23rd respectively, with both duos finishing a lap off the pace.

The #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang ran only as high as 11th in the hands of Holdsworth, during the pit stop cycle in which he handed over to Mostert, while the #2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang was never officially better than 15th position.

“What [Sandown] has done is doubled-down on the focus for Bathurst,” said Stewart.

“It’s a kick in the guts that ensures we will doing everything we can for the big one.

“Clearly we struggled with car set-up all weekend.

“We threw a lot at it, but the difficulty with the Gen3 car is that the driver doesn’t have the ability to manipulate the set-up through the race with the anti-roll bars.

“So, when you start with a difficult car then you cannot tune it up through the race.”

Mostert had in fact taken the chequered flag in 19th position but had a 15-second time penalty hanging over his head for turning around Declan Fraser.

His and Holdsworth’s cause was not helped by contact earlier in the race also, which triggered three pit stops during the first Safety Car period in order to cut away damaged bodywork.

However, they were already on the back foot when Mostert qualified 16th, while Percat put Car #2 on the second-last row of the grid, ahead of only the Blanchard Racing Team’s wildcard entry, after clutch dramas.

Both #2 and #25 were also disqualified from Practice 1 for using the incorrect drop gear ratio.

Mostert dropped one position to sixth in the championship at Sandown but is still best of the Ford drivers in the standings.

The Bathurst 1000, a race in which Mostert finished second last year with Coulthard as co-driver, takes place from October 5-8.