How new rule change will add to Supercars’ unpredictability at Albert Park

Championship leader Will Brown is excited by a new rule change to Supercars racing, which could have massive implications when it makes its debut at Albert Park.

Not withstanding Melbourne’s fickle weather, a major rule change has set the stage for one of the most enthralling rounds of Supercars ever witnessed during the Australian Grand Prix.

Unlike Formula One, which runs a single race on the final Sunday at Albert Park, the V8 Supercars will conduct four races - one on each day from Thursday to Sunday.

The first two races are both over 105km (20 laps) while the two weekend races are each 80km (14 laps) sprints, which all count towards the Repco Supercars championship.

Drivers can also earn bonus points for setting the fastest laps in each of the races but the big twist this year is that for the first time for the V8s at Albert Park, there will be no pit stops except if the heavens open and the cars have to return to their garages and switch to wet-weather tyres.

Will Brown at the Bathurst 500 on February 25. Picture: EDGE

Supercars racing is always white-knuckle, edge of your seat stuff but championship leader Will Brown said the new rule changes made things even more unpredictable.

“It’s a big thing, obviously with no pit stops this year,” he said.

“If it rains, it’ll be an interesting one for us to see what happens.

“But I feel pretty confident after the first round that we can go there and do a good job.”

Brown is one of the favourites to win this season’s Supercars crown after replacing Shane van Gisbergen at Red Bull Ampol Racing when the New Zealander moved to the United States to try his hand at NASCAR.

Brown has made a flying start with his new team to lead the championship by just nine points from his team mate Broc Feeney after the opening round double-header at Bathurst’s Mount Panorama circuit four weeks ago.

“It’s an awesome start to the year,” Brown said.

“To make the switch over this year, there’s a lot of unknowns, probably for the team as well with me as a driver.

“So I was really excited to be able to repay them at the first round and get a win and a second place and have such a strong weekend.

“Hopefully we can keep that rolling throughout the year. It’s a long year, but I’m absolutely stoked with where I’ve landed and all the guys I’m working with.”

The decision to scrap pit stops has added to the importance of qualifying in Melbourne.

Since 2018, all but one of the V8 championship races at Albert Park have been won from the first two rows of the grid, so drivers can’t afford to make any mistakes during each of the four separate qualifying sessions.

“It’s the first time in a long time that we haven’t had pitstop races for the Grand Prix, which I’m kind of not looking forward to because it puts a very high pressure situation in qualifying,” said Tradie Beer Racing driver David Reynolds.

“Qualifying is going to set up your races. If you can qualify well, you’ll probably race well.

“All the people that qualify at the front have big smiles, all the people down the back, they know that their race is pretty much shot so they’ll all be sad.”

Reynolds has won a race at the twisting Albert Park before so knows what it takes but he is still rueing the one big prize that got away - the Larry Perkins trophy awarded to the river who collects the most points over the four races.

“If I received that award it would mean a lot to me,” he said.

“I came very close in 2022, but I put it in the fence in the last race and that sort of ruined my chances of winning it so I’ve come close, but I’ve just missed out.”

Originally published as How new rule change will add to Supercars’ unpredictability at Albert Park