Jamie Whincup has shunted his way past his Red Bull Racing teammate Craig Lowndes to take the chequered flag in the opening V8 Supercars race of the weekend in Tasmania.

Starting on pole, Whincup was overtaken by Lowndes off the grid at the Symmons Plains circuit.

Whincup hunted down the championship leader and looked to pass on the inside late on lap 26 of the 42-lap battle.

As Lowndes sought to regain his racing line he was bumped off the track by Whincup – losing ten places to 11th as a result.

Whincup said the situation was “unfortunate” but he had no regrets over the move.

“I feel like I haven’t done anything wrong,” he said.

“We’ve been mates for ten years and hopefully that can continue.”

An investigation will take place – Lowndes’ second for the day – which finished with Whincup first, James Courtney second and Ford’s Mark Winterbottom third.

Russell Ingall, who qualified third fastest, held off Volvo’s Scott McLaughlin for fourth.

Lowndes, who fought back to finish eighth, also faces a steward’s investigation after race officials noticed a sticker over a hole in his window.

The penalty could strip him of a front-row start in race two and instead place him at the back of the grid.