Motorsport: Jamie Whincup ready to play supporting role

Shane van Gisbergen (car No97) is battling Scott McLaughlin for the Supercars title. Photo / Getty Images

Reigning champ and seven-time Supercars series winner Jamie Whincup is promising to help Red Bull Holden Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen win a second crown.

Whincup lies third in the standings and has a mathematical shot at defending his crown but dramas at Bathurst and on the Gold Coast a fortnight ago has seen him declare the fight a straight shootout between Kiwis van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin.

"It is mathematically okay but it is not going to happen for car No1 this year," Whincup told the Herald ahead of the penultimate round of the 2018 championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway over the weekend.

"We are going to go and race hard — there are no team orders — but there is a balancing act there. Obviously our efforts to try and win the biggest trophy are all in one basket with car No97 [van Gisbergen] so fingers crossed I have no involvement whatsoever and he's out in front doing what he does.

"If I can help out I certainly will."

A year ago the roles were reversed and it was van Gisbergen trying to help Whincup edge McLaughlin in a head-to-head sprint for the finish.

But while Whincup will try to assist where possible he won't do anything improper to try and ruin McLaughlin's chances either.

"The biggest thing I can do this weekend is really help out with car set-up and make sure both cars are really competitive," he explained.

"We can give us much info as we can to No97 to make it as competitive as we can. We certainly aren't going to do anything untoward to car No17 [McLaughlin] or anything like that. That is not the game we play.

"If I can get in between No97 and No17 and takes some points away from No17 then I certainly will."

Whincup lost out to van Gisbergen in 2016 while he somehow managed to pip McLaughlin last year in a controversial finish to the season.

With seven championships to his name the most successful driver in the history of the championship is convinced there is no blueprint to handle a straight battle for the title over the last four races.

"Everyone is different so what works for me won't work for anyone else and vice versa.

Both of these guys and everyone in the field make huge sacrifices and dedicate our life to winning championships so it is a huge deal.

"It is a big difference running first compared to running second at the end of the year.

There is going to be a lot of stress and when you are under stress mistakes get made so whoever makes the least errors will stand on the top step at the end of the year."

Hearing van Gisbergen and McLaughlin talk about just how tough it is to win a championship it brings home how incredible Whincup's run of success has been in the past decade.

"I certainly respect the great success I have had and the hard work that has been done.

Every year is a battle — you don't get any easy ones and this year is no different," the 35-year-old said.

"Whoever stands on the top step at the end of the year knows they deserve it and I hope the best man and best team wins."