Six-time V8 champion Jamie Whincup has accepted criticism for making mistakes during his latest Bathurst controversy, but denies he is arrogant and defies team orders.
Whincup, who ran out of fuel on the final lap last year while leading after ignoring crew requests to return to the pit, courted more controversy at the weekend when he passed a safety car which led to him being penalised and relegated in the field.
The on-track incidents earned him the wrath of fans, but Whincup put it down to a communication breakdown.
"I've been labelled this arrogant p*** who doesn't listen to his team," he told News Corp Australia. "I'm 100 per cent not. It's far from the truth. We're all in it together.
"I thought an error was going to be made and I was doing my best to fix a potential team issue but it wasn't. It was just a communication breakdown and I was trying to react."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The Red Bull Racing driver said he wasn't aware of the safety car until he passed it.
"The team generally call `possible safety car, pit this lap' but I only got the call of pit this lap and I didn't know it was a safety car," he said.
"I tried to do the right thing by the team and stay out then I saw the safety car boards and knew I'd made a massive error."
After claiming four-straight championships, Whincup sits eighth in the standings as Ford rival Mark Winterbottom closes in on his first series title.
