In a thrilling conclusion, Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood have achieved an unexpected victory at the Supercars Bathurst 1000 held at Mount Panorama. The Dick Johnson Racing team surprised with a brilliant strategy that allowed them to overcome a setback during the race.
For much of the competition, Kostecki and Hazelwood did not seem to have any chance of victory. With five laps to go, the #17 Mustang had lost significant time due to a brake change, thus falling out of contention for first place due to a loss of over 25 seconds. It seemed that everything was already decided for Anton De Pasquale and Lee Holdsworth, who were comfortably leading the race.
The situation changed drastically when the safety car entered the track due to a crash involving Chaz Mostert. This event marked a turning point, bringing together pole-sitter De Pasquale with Kostecki and Zach Bates at a key moment in the race.
However, Team 18’s strategy to reduce fuel on De Pasquale during his last stop turned out to be a fatal error; the advantage gained evaporated when the vehicle slowed down on the final climb, leading to his abandonment.
Kostecki, who teamed up with team director Tom Moore instead of his usual engineer due to a prior injury, expressed his disbelief at what had occurred. ‘I had all the information I needed. It’s fantastic to win again with this guy [Hazelwood],’ the driver excitedly declared.
In second place was the Ford of Will Brown and Scott Pye, who took advantage of a smart pit strategy to climb onto the podium, and Matt Stone Racing surprised with a third place thanks to an exceptional performance from their drivers Aaron Seton and Bates, who delivered a flawless start.
Moreover, the race highlighted the challenges many teams faced in tire and brake management, with numerous vehicles suffering visible tire wear and braking issues that some attributed to the inconsistent quality of brake pads. The extreme weather with track temperatures exceeding 37°C further complicated matters.
Following the outcome of this edition of the Bathurst 1000, the competition will head towards the remainder of the championship, with the finals scheduled for October 23 to 25 on the Gold Coast. Fans are expecting an equally thrilling conclusion in the title fight.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
