Supercars has revealed a brand new season format for next 12 months, with finals completing the campaign to find out the champion for 2025.
The Australian series will move to a three-stage split season, with the initial eight rounds counting towards the Sprint Cup and two endurance races to find out the Enduro Cup champion, before the finals format begins.
There can even be a points reset, with all 10 drivers going to their first final race at Gold Coast level, earning 3,000 points after which 4,000 for the subsequent race at Sandown.
Any driver who wins on the Gold Coast and Sandown circuits will likely be routinely seeded in the ultimate 4 to stay in contention for the Adelaide title, together with the subsequent two highest points scorers.
Will this be a hit for the series? Our authors present their views.
Bold change, but with harmful potential – Phil Branagan
The idea of ​​changing the strategy of choosing the champion is a positive one and I commend Supercars for its courage on this matter. But as Jim Hacker taught us in Yes, Prime Minister, courage can have consequences.
Under the brand new system, certain scenarios may evolve from a micro-problem to a macro-nightmare. As an example, I'll go along with current points leader and 2024 title favorite Will Brown. If the Triple Eight Chevrolet driver produces a solid end in the Bathurst 1000 this weekend, he may lead in championship points heading into the subsequent round on the Gold Coast – and if a few of his rivals don't dazzle Brown's Bathurst lead, it could take your entire points round (300) or more .
Will Brown, Triple Eight Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race engineer
Photo: Edge Photographics
Imagine Brown dominating qualifying on the Gold Coast, but in the highest 10 shootout, a locked wheel throws him off the chicane and he starts the primary race from tenth position on the grid. The Gold Coast street circuit is notorious for punishing mistakes; if from there Brown gets caught up in a melee on the primary lap, he could possibly be out all day. Zero points.
If he manages to make up for the loss on Sunday, it won't be an enormous failure. With a podium or victory, he could/should even maintain his points lead heading into the ultimate race of the season in Adelaide.
Let's extend the identical scenario to 2025. Brown could even win Sunday's race on the Gold Coast, but imagine for a moment that a “finalist” Ford driver further down the grid could finish eighth, ninth or tenth among the many weekend's title contenders, thus saving Brown. Will other Ford drivers, loyal to the blue oval and never competing for the title themselves, drive with a level of cooperation they won’t otherwise achieve to make sure their teammate finishes in the highest seven and Brown is one in every of the three eliminated drivers? -Gold Coast Far-fetched? Could this occur? Maybe.
The finals concept is bound to generate loads of stories. This is nice for supercars (and great for somebody like me). But not all of those stories will likely be positive…
Cynical change at an opportune time – Sam Hall
My initial response to Supercars switching to a finals format was simply: why? It's true that a championship fight that goes all of the technique to the ultimate is something every series strives for, which can add intrigue and viewership stats, but sometimes you could have to simply accept that one team or driver will dominate and praise the achievement.
While these are undoubtedly positives and will capture the general public's imagination, there is no such thing as a changing the purist in me who believes that motorsport ought to be a meritocracy and shouldn’t be artificially reduced to a missed pitstop or reliability issues – even driver error – for a single event.
Yes, there are other sports which have this format, NASCAR being essentially the most famous example, but on a private level it just doesn't sit well with me.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr, JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger Health/Palmolive Chevrolet Camaro
Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images
However, the timing of this alteration ought to be rigorously checked out. The broadcast deal expires at the top of 2025, and the introduction of Gen3 cars didn't make for essentially the most entertaining racing.
It is due to this fact vital that Supercars delivers a greater product and, fairly than answering the query of why these seemingly equal machines seem uneven on target and what the elemental problems the series has, are a fast fix to the finals system – something that brings with it additional sponsorship opportunities and marketing.
Despite all my negative attitude towards this issue, it ought to be added that I actually hope this works and in 12 months I will likely be forced to eat my words. Supercars need something to reignite excitement within the category, and even when it's to not my taste and seems more like a marketing exercise than a sporting decision, if it really works, I'll be as completely satisfied as anyone.
Surprised the change didn't occur sooner – Tom Howard
Having previously lived in Australia and worked in Supercars, I'm really surprised this alteration hasn't happened sooner. Australian sport is especially obsessive about the Finals Series format. This happens within the AFL, NRL and A-League. It was actually difficult for the Briton to persuade himself of this. Imagine if the English Premier League champions were decided in a one-off final fairly than 38 games. This is unusual but is the case in most sporting codes in Australia.
I agree it's not a change that may appeal to purists, and Supercars fans have actually proven to be proof against change up to now. I remember when Triple Eight dared to develop a V6 engine to interchange the V8, causing complete confusion and ultimately the V8 engine won and it still exists today.
However, the motorsport landscape is changing, and positively the way in which fans interact with the championship. Sometimes it might work to make an enormous change when changing the format. Supercars has tried tweaking formats before, with some working and others failing. However, sitting still is not any longer an option, considering how quickly the sports landscape is changing and the way people watch sports today.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing within the MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport
Photo: JEP
Last weekend I attended the ultimate round of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, which once more provided the perfect seat entertainment and crowned the champion.
It's true that its format doesn't reflect the extent of radical change supercars will see in 2025, but a 3rd reverse-grid race and the dimensions of hybrid use determined by driver success replacing the ballast of success normally means the championship will go ahead in nine out of 10 cases. will likely be decided in the ultimate round. I have to admit it's an incredible watch. Last weekend, eventual champion Jake Hill and rival Tom Ingram entered the ultimate race with a degree difference. Format changes could be for the higher, but they may have the alternative effect.
PLUS: How the BTCC showdown ended with a brand new king of the hill emerging
The World Rally Championship is an ideal example of this. There's a brand new scoring system this 12 months, which is complicated for fans, nevertheless it makes Sundays way more interesting. Format changes will at all times require compromises.
I feel Supercars is brave to make this alteration. It will likely be a bit like Marmite or Vegemite (the primary one is best), some will likely be delighted, others will hate it. What is definite is that the Adelaide Grand Final will likely be the place to observe motorsport.
