Birthday boy Mark Winterbottom has lashed out at Supercars rival Shane van Gisbergen after a fiery Winton Supersprint qualifying session.

The Ford veteran wsa left seething and said van Gisbergen is a “bit of a fool” after the pair collided at turn five on their out lap.

“I went around him and he’s swerved into me and hit the front wheel. He does it all the time. It’s frustrating,” Winterbottom said.

“I got bent steering and now the car’s slow.

“We’re all sick of it. It’s not just me, it’s quite a few of us.

“We’ll sort it out I’m sure.

“He needs to have a look at himself, really.

“But it didn’t cost him, it cost me, so why is he upset?”

It was the worst start to Winterbottom’s 37th birthday, as he will start from 18th for Sunday’s race two at the Victorian circuit.

Red Bull Holden’s van Gisbergen came off better and will begin the 67-lap affair in seventh as he looks to keep pressure on championship leader Scott McLaughlin.

The 2016 champion believed he wasn’t to blame but held more back than Winterbottom when asked for comment.

“Whether it was my fault, I’m not sure, but I’m 97 per cent sure it was not my fault, I was just doing what I was doing,” van Gisbergen said.

“I was on warm-up tyres, he was on soft I think.

“I need to see video, but I was just holding my line at a constant speed.”

It was the second heated clash in as many days between Holden and Ford drivers

Mobil 1’s Scott Pye was left fuming after Saturday’s race, believing his second-placed finish would have been a win if it wasn’t for Tickford Racing’s Richie Stanaway.

“Same as Symmons Plains, I’m not sure what he’s (Stanaway) thinking, it seems to be pretty common now with him,” Pye said.

“I definitely feel like I was pretty disappointed throughout that race. It’s just not really that necessary.

“It wasn’t like we were 10th or 15th, we were the leader of the race and once he got out of the way it was good.”