As Supercars blunders go, crashing into your teammate is a doozy.
It's not a fate that has befallen six-time champion Jamie Whincup often in his racing career, but one he had to apologise for at the Auckland Supercars meet on Sunday.
In a last-gasp effort to make ground on fellow Red Bull Shane van Gisbergen, Whincup attempted to overtake the title leader at Pukekohe Park's hairpin turn eight.
He missed.
Instead, both Holdens were sent spinning in a low-speed clash with mammoth championship ramifications.
Whincup was handed a pit-lane penalty and slumped to 25th, while the Aucklander recovered five places from the spin-out to finish third.
The result sent Whincup backwards in the title race, sitting 191 points behind his teammate with just two races at Homebush left in the season.
Whincup made a bee-line for his teammate after the race to apologise for the "clumsy" move.
"I feel bad," he said.
"Everyone wanted that to happen and we were trying to make sure that didn't happen.
"I locked the rears, had a much quicker car than Shane and he sort of half left me through and I made a bit of a meal about it."
Putting a brave face on, Whincup said he was pleased "Shane got up there and got some good points" even though he was the only person van Gibsergen's recovery hurt.
Whincup is the only driver that can catch the 27-year-old in the title race, though his chances are now purely mathematical.
Van Gisbergen can finish as low as 16th in both Sydney races and still claim his the crown.
Considering his team have already picked up the teams championship, and one of his drivers will win the drivers championship, it's understandable why team boss Roland Dane wasn't upset over the duel.
"It's one of those things, I'm not going to cry about it," he said.
"Jamie lost the rear a bit in there and Shane left the door open for him ... Jamie was probably coming from a tickle too far back.
"It happens. You're not going to race side by side forever without having something happen sooner or later.
"I would be more annoyed if they could be beaten for the championship and they can't be."
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