The current Supercars season has failed to spark the imagination, with the thoroughly lacklustre Bathurst 1000 the cherry on top of a forgettable season. So bad were things during Sunday’s race that Tickford Racing and Supercars itself both posted on social media conceding that things hadn’t gone as hoped.
In the former’s post, Tickford asked: “Anyone else bored?” – this coming prior to the lap 132 safety car period which did little to spice things up, while Supercars shared an image from Titanic with the caption, “It’s been 132 laps…” When the championship is criticising its own product, that is a sure sign that your own discontent is not misplaced.
In what is partially a written piece of personal therapy, I can’t help but wonder why Bathurst in recent years has failed to live up to its monstrous reputation. Aside from the season-long feud between Bathurst 1000 victor Brodie Kostecki and the Erebus management, there wasn’t even an engaging side-story like in 2022, with Shane van Gisbergen piloting the Commodore to its final Mount Panorama success.
Looking for the positives, the fact that there was only one retiree and there were hardly any wall taps across the 161-lap distance, is a mark of the extreme level of skill that was on display. Given the usual mayhem with the concrete walls that punish even the smallest of mistakes, this feat cannot be understated.
The side effect of this year’s running ducking under the six-hour mark for the first time to become the fastest Bathurst 1000 ever at five hours, 58 minutes and 3.0649s means it is one that will be remembered in the history books. Matt Payne and Garth Tander’s Grove Racing Mustang being the only car not to reach the chequered flag also resulted in the highest-ever finishing percentage at 96.2% - another one for the history buffs.
But these statistics are unlikely to be of consequence to the wider fandom, who will instead remember a race largely devoid of any entertainment value. Yes, there were some battles for the minor placings but these were often short-lived and saw co-drivers facing off against their full-time counterparts.
Trying to keep a reasonable head on, it is all too true that not every race can be a classic. Take how the 2021 Formula 1 season raised expectations so that anything other than a barnstormer was labelled as dull.
There will be duds from time to time. But two on the spin and in a season with very little to shout about, and that makes it the topping on a very unappealing Bake Off failure.
So if the drivers are more than up to the task, and the cars have bulletproof reliability, maybe it is time to look at the GEN3 regulations that have produced fine-looking cars, arguably some of the best-looking machinery in motorsport, but ones that consistently fail to deliver exciting, close racing.
While the change to make it mandatory for full-time drivers to launch from the grid is one that was made on safety grounds, it should be down to the teams to decide how best to play their hand
There are some tracks that have provided a spectacle – Tasmania comes to mind with a short and tight layout – but these are becoming fewer and further between. Feeney chasing down Kostecki in the closing stages without ever looking like he would be able to launch a move for the lead is not the thrilling finale some will try to sell it as.
Introduced in 2023, the GEN3 cars were designed to look more like their road-going equivalents. Some 65% of the overall downforce was removed from the previous specification in order to put more emphasis on the driver’s skill and, in theory, increase overtaking.
Following last year’s storm over parity, it is now reckoned that the Chevrolet and Ford are as close as it is possible to get two different chassis, something evidenced by the variety in winning manufacturers this term. Seven of the 20 races held thus far in 2024 have been won by Ford drivers, which compares to just two in the 23 races prior to last year's Bathurst 1000 and only six across the whole year.
Yet this variation remains track-specific. Only Tasmania has seen a mix of manufacturers taking to the top of the podium in a single weekend.
Look back to the season-opening Bathurst 500, and you will note that Will Brown and Feeney took a win apiece for Triple Eight – who run Chevrolets, just like this weekend’s victors, Erebus.
Go back to the 2023 Great Race, and it was van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway on top, once again in the Triple Eight Chevrolet. A 100% record on the Mountain for the marque in the GEN3 era is something that will have been noted up and down the paddock.
Although there was an even split of Chevrolets and Fords in the top 10 shootout, the podium was locked out by the former, with Cameron Waters and James Moffat’s Mustang fourth, and never looking like finishing in the top three despite starting second – although the pair did lose significant time with an early off.
The news that Toyota will join the grid in 2026 will provide a welcome boost, with an extra element being introduced to spice things up. But something needs to change quickly to improve the show.
It is just possible that the apparent boredom came simply because both drivers and teams are operating at such a high level that the errors of the past which used to spice things up – see the 2014 Bathurst 1000 for a prime example – simply don’t happen now.
Using the F1 example again; if there are no yellow flags or safety cars and each team can run their plan A, you are unlikely to even get strategy variation to spice things up, thus removing another element of intrigue. A couple of suggestions then to round things out – and both involve reversing changes made in recent years.
First, allow teams to decide which driver will start the race. While the change to make it mandatory for full-time drivers to launch from the grid is one that was made on safety grounds, it should be down to the teams to decide how best to play their hand.
Introducing this variable could once again see poor qualifiers look to run their strongest driver, while frontrunners bank early laps with the co-drivers. It always bunches things up and would have an immediate impact.
Secondly, reintroduce a minimum pitstop count. In 2022, teams had to stop at least seven times, meaning there was always going to be a stop or two that would come at an inconvenient time but, with a fortuitous safety car, could punt them up the order.
Now, teams run the tank full to empty across, give or take, 30 laps, and repeat. Even the introduction of a safety car late on Sunday saw no variation introduced, with the field - that was neutralised by the new full course yellow speed limit - all cycling through for tyres and fuel.
What makes a race great is more often than not, the introduction of variables. Is it any surprise that the product is weaker when these variables are removed? One can only hope that someone with influence might think on the pair of quick-fix suggestions and do what is best for the spectacle.
