Melbourne Grand Prix: Race Weekend Summary

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship made its highly anticipated second stop at the iconic Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne from March 13th to 16th.

As a key support category for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the Supercars Championship held four intense sprint races across the four-day event. The weekend was characterized by thrilling on-track action, a significant shift in the championship lead, a maiden victory for a rising star, and the unfortunate curtailment of the final race due to adverse weather conditions. The unique format of the Melbourne SuperSprint, featuring no compulsory pit stops, contributed to the aggressive and often unpredictable racing witnessed throughout the weekend.

The Supercars schedule at the 2025 Melbourne Grand Prix was tightly packed, fitting four races alongside the Formula 1 and other support categories. The action commenced on Thursday, March 13th, with two back-to-back qualifying sessions in the afternoon. Broc Feeney in the Red Bull Ampol Racing Chevrolet Camaro demonstrated exceptional pace, securing pole position for the opening Race.

The first race of the weekend, Race 4, was held in the evening and ran for 19 laps. Friday, March 14th, saw the running of Race 5 in the afternoon, also scheduled for 19 laps, although it was ultimately shortened. Saturday, March 15th, featured another double qualifying session in the morning, where Broc Feeney once again proved dominant, claiming pole position for both Race 6 and the subsequently abandoned Race 7.

Race 6 took place in the evening and was slated for 19 laps but was also shortened due to Safety Car periods. The final race of the weekend, Race 7, was scheduled for Sunday morning, March 16th, with a reduced distance of 14 laps, but heavy rainfall led to its abandonment.

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The opening race of the weekend, Race 4, held on Thursday evening, saw Broc Feeney convert his pole position into a commanding victory for Red Bull Ampol Racing. However, the race was far from straightforward, with numerous battles, clashes, and incidents occurring throughout the field. The absence of compulsory pit stops on the demanding Albert Park street circuit encouraged aggressive driving, leading to a high incident rate. One of the standout performances of the race came from Cam Waters of Tickford Racing, who mounted an impressive comeback drive from 22nd on the grid to finish in 6th place.

This recovery highlighted Waters’ strong race pace, even after a less-than-ideal qualifying session. Another significant moment was Cameron Hill from Dabble Racing securing his first-ever Supercars podium, finishing in 3rd position. Brodie Kostecki finished a solid 4th, while Ryan Wood rounded out the top five. The race also saw several minor incidents, including contact between Kai Allen and Aaron Cameron, a spin for Kai Allen, and a collision between Aaron Cameron and Macauley Jones. James Golding suffered a setback after hitting a tyre bundle, and there was contact between Brodie Kostecki and Jack Le Brocq, resulting in a spin for the latter. The chaotic nature of the race continued with a spin for Cooper Murray following contact with Nick Percat. The high number of incidents in the opening race underscored the intensity of sprint racing without pit stops on a challenging circuit like Albert Park, where drivers are often compelled to take risks to gain track position early in the race.

Friday’s Race 5 witnessed a significant moment in the 2025 Supercars Championship as Cameron Hill secured his maiden Supercars victory, leading home a historic one-two finish for Matt Stone Racing (MSR) with Nick Percat finishing in 2nd. Hill’s strong start from the front row saw him jump pole-sitter Broc Feeney into Turn 1, a lead he would not relinquish.

The race was significantly impacted by a dramatic incident on the opening lap involving Ryan Wood and Jack Le Brocq. Contact between the two drivers at Turn 5 sent Le Brocq’s Tyrepower Camaro careening into the concrete wall, resulting in substantial damage and a drive-through penalty for Wood. The severity of the crash brought out the Safety Car, the first of two interventions in the shortened race. A subsequent collision between David Reynolds and Thomas Randle brought out the Safety Car for a second time, ultimately reducing the race distance to just 12 laps due to time certainty.

Will Brown finished in 3rd place, with Broc Feeney in 4th, while Cam Waters secured a solid 6th-place finish. Hill’s maiden victory was a significant achievement, not only for the young driver but also for the Matt Stone Racing team, marking their first one-two finish in Supercars. The incident involving Wood and Le Brocq sparked considerable debate, highlighting the delicate balance between aggressive racing and on-track etiquette.

Saturday’s Race 6 saw a significant shift in the championship standings as Will Brown secured his first victory of the 2025 season, taking the lead from Cam Waters in the process. The race was another incident-filled affair, shortened due to two Safety Car periods.

Brown made a decisive move at the start, overtaking his teammate and pole-sitter Broc Feeney into Turn 1. Nick Percat continued his strong weekend, finishing in 3rd place despite battling a power steering issue in the closing stages. The opening lap was particularly chaotic, with multiple incidents, including contact between Chaz Mostert and James Golding at Turn 11, which sent Golding into the gravel trap and out of contention. Cooper Murray also crashed out of the race at Turn 11.

Will Brown set the fastest lap of the race, indicating his strong car pace. Cam Waters once again showed his recovery skills, climbing from 19th on the grid to finish in 9th place. Following the race, Chaz Mostert received a post-race penalty for his contact with James Golding, dropping him down the order. The victory for Brown and the subsequent penalty for Mostert underscored the intense competition and scrutiny of on-track conduct in the championship.

The final race of the weekend, Race 7, scheduled for Sunday morning, was unfortunately abandoned due to heavy rainfall. The race commenced behind the Safety Car as conditions were deemed too treacherous for a normal start. After just two laps behind the Safety Car, with no improvement in the weather, the race was ultimately abandoned.

No points or results were awarded for the abandoned race. Prior to the start, Thomas Randle’s car experienced a small fire in the cockpit, adding to the drama. The abandonment of the final race was an unfortunate end to what had been an action-packed weekend. However, the starting grid for the race, with Will Brown further back and key rivals higher up, suggested that the weather might have played a significant role in the championship outcome had the race proceeded. Despite the abandoned race, Will Brown was declared the winner of the Larry Perkins Trophy for the weekend based on his points accumulated in the preceding races.

Across the four races, several drivers demonstrated strong performance. Will Brown emerged as the overall standout, securing a win in Race 6 and consistent podium finishes in the other two races that were completed. His consistency allowed him to take over the championship lead. Broc Feeney also had a strong weekend, securing a win in Race 4 and consistently finishing at the front of the pack. Cameron Hill’s maiden victory in Race 5 was a significant highlight, showcasing his talent and the progress of the Matt Stone Racing team.

Cam Waters, despite not securing a win, demonstrated strong race pace with his recovery drive in Race 4, but ultimately lost the championship lead. Nick Percat enjoyed a consistent run, securing podium finishes in both Race 5 and Race 6 despite a mechanical issue in the latter. Ryan Wood also showed glimpses of strong performance with a top-five finish in Race 4 and a recovery drive in Race 6.

In terms of team performance, Red Bull Ampol Racing (Triple Eight Race Engineering) had a dominant weekend, with wins for both Broc Feeney and Will Brown, along with consistent podium finishes. This strong showing allowed them to take the lead in both the drivers’ and teams’ championships. Matt Stone Racing enjoyed a breakthrough event, with Cameron Hill’s victory and Nick Percat’s consistent top performances highlighting their potential.

Tickford Racing, despite their dominant start to the season in Sydney, faced more challenges in Melbourne, although Cam Waters showed resilience with his recovery drives. Walkinshaw Andretti United showed consistent pace, with Chaz Mostert securing points finishes despite a penalty in Race 6.

Several notable storylines and controversies emerged from the Melbourne SuperSprint. The most significant was Will Brown overtaking Cam Waters for the lead in the driver championship. Cameron Hill’s maiden Supercars victory was another key narrative, marking a significant milestone in his career. The collision between Ryan Wood and Jack Le Brocq in Race 5, and the subsequent drive-through penalty for Wood, sparked considerable discussion about driving standards.

Chaz Mostert’s post-race penalty for his contact with James Golding in Race 6 was another contentious moment, impacting his championship points. The abandonment of Race 7 due to heavy rain was an unfortunate end to the weekend, leaving some uncertainty about potential championship outcomes. Tickford Racing’s struggles in qualifying were notable, especially after their dominant performance in the Sydney season opener.

The close and often chaotic racing throughout the weekend, likely influenced by the no-pit-stop format and the new tire compound, provided plenty of excitement for fans. Finally, the revelation of team orders being in play at Triple Eight Race Engineering added another layer of strategic intrigue to their race management.

Following the Melbourne SuperSprint, the driver championship standings saw a change at the top. Will Brown now leads with 467 points, closely followed by Cam Waters in second with 460 points. Broc Feeney sits in third with 418 points, with Chaz Mostert in fourth (333 points) and Brodie Kostecki in fifth (331 points).

Table 1: Supercars Race Schedule – 2025 Melbourne Grand Prix

Table 2: Supercars Race Winners and Key Incidents – 2025 Melbourne Grand Prix

Table 3: Updated Driver Championship Standings (Top 10) – After Melbourne Grand Prix

Table 4: Updated Team Championship Standings (Top 5) – After Melbourne Grand Prix

Credit:
Copy – Gemini Ai
Images – Speedcafe/InSyde Media