For all the talk of his Ford teammate Scott McLaughlin and Holden star Jamie Whincup, it's Fabian Coulthard who heads into this weekend's Supercars event on the Gold Coast with the championship lead.
While McLaughlin's electric qualifying form has put most of the attention on the young New Zealander's bid to hold off six-time Supercars champion Whincup, Coulthard's quietly efficient form has ensured a 91-point lead in the series standings.
Coulthard and co-driver Tony D'Alberto finished third at the Bathurst 1000, their podium finish maximising a bad day for McLaughlin (DNF) and Whincup (20th) at Mount Panorama.