• Login
  • Register
Speedcafe.com
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • PODS
  • PHOTOS
  • RESULTS
  • NETWORK 100
No Result
View All Result
  • SURVEY
  • SUPERCARS
  • F1
  • MOTOGP
  • NASCAR
  • INDYCAR
  • GT & ENDURANCE
  • KARTING
  • RALLY
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • PODS
  • PHOTOS
  • RESULTS
  • NETWORK 100
No Result
View All Result
  • Feed
  • Calendar
  • Results
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
  • Shop
Speedcafe.com
  • Supercars
  • F1
  • NASCAR
  • IndyCar
  • GT & Endurance
  • Karting
  • Bikes
  • Rally
Home Supercars

Edwards: Aero issues ‘not a priority’ for Supercars during pandemic

Simon Chapman
Simon Chapman
11 Jul 2020
Simon Chapman
//
11 Jul 2020
// Supercars, Featured
A A
0
Edwards: Aero issues ‘not a priority’ for Supercars during pandemic

Supercars Commission member Tim Edwards says aerodynamic issues are “not a priority” for the category in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Edwards’ comments come after Fabian Coulthard and Shane van Gisbergen both described washout as “the worst it’s been” at the BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint in late June.

That’s despite revisions to the respective aerodynamic packages of the Ford Mustang and Holden ZB Commodore, which cut downforce levels by an estimated 12 percent.

Scott McLaughlin was also dissatisfied after the first Sydney Motorsport Park event and Rick Kelly felt an increase in downforce from the Nissan Altima to the Ford Mustang.

Edwards said cars are particularly susceptible to aerodynamic washout at Sydney Motorsport Park due to its long radius corners.

Advertisements

However, the Tickford Racing boss added there are no quick fixes in the midst of a season already plagued by the coronavirus pandemic.

Take the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour survey and win! Click here to have your say.

Instead, their current focus is going racing and improving it through other means.

“There’s an awareness, but it’s nothing more than an awareness at the moment,” Edwards told Speedcafe.com.

“We’re conscious of it. The comments were there after Adelaide. The comments were there again (after Sydney).

“Every circuit is different and for all the circuits you go to that you may have got those comments, Sydney was definitely going to be one of those tracks with those fast, rolling corners.

“We’re conscious of it, and I’m sure further discussion will take place at a point in time, but it’s not a priority at the moment.

“Getting back racing is the number one priority for everybody at the moment.”

Edwards noted that comments by drivers about the aerodynamic difficulties were made after Race 7 of the season, which saw much of the field running on a similar strategy.

“Those three cars at the front all did exactly the same strategies and they had exactly the same tyres on,” said Edwards.

“So, you’ve got exactly the same result at the end because there was no difference. (On Sunday) they all did different things. So, that mixed it up.

“That’s probably a good example of why forcing or encouraging teams to do different things will give us a better result because the first race they did the same thing and of the three races it was probably the most boring because those three cars did just do exactly the same strategy.”

Edwards noted recent sporting and technical rule revisions led to more variation in the results in Race 8 and Race 9 as teams jostled their allocation of new and used sets.

While there are no aerodynamic quick fixes, Supercars can at least play with tyre allocations and compounds.

Drivers and teams were receptive to the changes at the first Sydney Motorsport Park event.

However, there is a school of thought that changes like that shouldn’t need to be made to improve the racing and that cars should be less downforce dependent and able to follow closer.

Supercars will continue to experiment with tyre allocations amid shorter races that no longer require refuelling.

Teams will have four sets of soft compound and three sets of hard compound tyres at the next Sydney Motorsport Park event on July 18-19.

Two sets of soft tyres must be returned after Practice 2 meaning that in at least one race the teams will have to use hard compound tyres.

Edwards said the removal of refuelling and variability in tyre choice and thus pit stop times led to better racing at the first Sydney Motorsport Park event.

“People were sometimes doing two tyres, sometimes doing three, sometimes doing four,” Edwards explained.

“You’ve got five seconds difference between different options there. So, that’s being brave and giving up five seconds on the track with the hope that you’ll be able to claw it back.

“So, you’ve got those sorts of things as well, that’ll come into play, and it’ll really put a focus on the efficiency of the crews as well.”

“For so long now when you’re refuelling the cars, you’re really paying no attention to the tyres because the longest part of the stop’s the fuel,” he added.

“The tyres are done and they almost go unnoticed because you’re just sitting there waiting for five, 10, 15, sometimes 20 seconds after the tyres are done for the fuel to be finished.

“It really put a focus on the tyre guys and on the crew and they played their part in the result more than they normally would.”

Future rounds of the championship at the forthcoming Sydney event, Darwin, Sandown, Tasmania and season-ender in Sydney will see teams allowed three sets of hard tyres and two sets of soft tyres.

The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship resumes on July 18-19 with the Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint.



Speedcafe Network 100 - logo representing the directory of leading suppliers to the motorsport industry in Australia

List your business today!

Team Trailers logo featuring bold red and white text with "Approved Futura Trailers Dealer" below.

Team Trailers

Motorsport Services, Automotive & Performance

Team Trailers, owned and operated by Rob and Jill, are the authorised Futura Trailers dealer for Queensland. Futura Trailers are a perfect match for their passion for motorsport and enthusiasm for all types of road...

Team Trailers, owned and operated by Rob and Jill, are the authorised Futura Trailers dealer for Queensland. Futura Trailers are a perfect match for their...

Discussion about this post

[postcode_search_form]

Latest from Torquecafe

More details emerge on Mercedes-Benz’s Suzuki Jimny, Jeep Wrangler rival

24 February 2026

More than 11,000 Toyota LandCruisers recalled due to fire risk

24 February 2026

Latest Podcasts

PODCAST: Full debrief from the Strip by the Tip

24 February 2026

PODCAST: Sydney 500 daily – Sunday

22 February 2026

Related Articles

PODCAST: Full debrief from the Strip by the Tip

Podcasts
2 hours ago
Podcasts
0
Kai Allen passed Broc Feeney around the outside of Turn 1 after a Safety Car restart during Race 3 of the Sydney 500.

Kai Allen explains stunning outside overtake on Broc Feeney

Supercars
2 hours ago
Supercars
0
ADVERTISEMENT

Platinum Partners

Latest & Trending News

Harmony Racing's Toy Story-inspired livery on its Ferrari 296 for GT World Challenge Asia.

Kiwi to race Ferrari in Toy Story-inspired livery

SRO GT
24 February 2026
SRO GT
0

PODCAST: Full debrief from the Strip by the Tip

Podcasts
24 February 2026
Podcasts
0
Kai Allen passed Broc Feeney around the outside of Turn 1 after a Safety Car restart during Race 3 of the Sydney 500.

Kai Allen explains stunning outside overtake on Broc Feeney

Supercars
24 February 2026
Supercars
0
Josh Buchan and Cameron Campbell Ferrari 296 GT3 for Zagame Autosport at Hampton Downs.

Ferrari team commits to GT World Challenge Australia

SRO GT
24 February 2026
SRO GT
0
Shane van Gisbergen's #97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro in its SafetyCulture livery.

SVG’s matching liveries for NASCAR road course return

NASCAR
24 February 2026
NASCAR
0
Stefan Bartholomaeus

Speedcafe goes back-to-back at Motorsport Australia Awards

Supercars
24 February 2026
Supercars
0

Supercheap Auto

Pirtek Poll

POLL: Is MotoGP’s Adelaide move a good decision?

Vote View Results Past polls
Pirtek Poll
View past polls
2026 Supercars Championship WINS POLES PTS
1
Broc Feeney
Red Bull Ampol Racing
88 2 1 259
2
Matthew Payne
Penrite Racing
19 0 0 259
3
Cam Waters
Monster Castrol Racing
6 0 0 238
4
Anton De Pasquale
DEWALT Racing
18 1 1 197
5
Brodie Kostecki
Shell V-Power Racing Team
17 0 0 186
2025 Formula 1 Championship WINS POLES PTS
1
Lando Norris (GBR)
McLaren
4 7 7 423
2
Max Verstappen (NED)
Red Bull
1 7 7 421
3
Oscar Piastri (AUS)
McLaren
81 7 6 410
4
George Russell (GBR)
Mercedes
63 2 2 319
5
Charles Leclerc (MON)
Ferrari
16 0 1 242
ADVERTISEMENT
[instagram-feed feed=2]
Support the partners that support Speedcafe
Truck Assist R & J Batteries Pirtek Mobil Super Supercheap Auto Michelin Meguiars coates KTM FORD ACDelco parcelprotect become a partner
AASA PPQ Authentic Collectables sportsnetholidays nuevasolutions bathurst
Green and white "speedcafe." logo on a black background, conveying a racing theme.
Speedcafe.com has been established to provide a daily motorsport news service to the industry and fans in Australia and internationally.
Follow Us

Categories

SUPERCARS

F1

NASCAR

INDYCAR

GT

MOTOGP

PHOTOS

TV

PODS

Platinum Partners

TRUCK ASSIST
R&J BATTERIES
PIRTEK
MOBIL1
SUPERCHEAP AUTO

PARCEL PROTECT

MICHELIN
MEGUIARS

COATES
FORD

ACDELCO

Newsletter

Subscribe to our daily newsletter, the best way to get your news first, fast and free!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Your daily racing fix - Newsletter

Subscribe to our daily and breaking newsletter for all the latest news delivered direct to your box

SUBSCRIBE
Follow Us

Categories

SUPERCARS

F1

NASCAR

INDYCAR

GT

MOTOGP

PHOTOS

TV

PODS

Platinum Partners

TRUCK ASSIST
R&J BATTERIES
PIRTEK
MOBIL1
SUPERCHEAP AUTO

PARCEL PROTECT

MICHELIN
MEGUIARS

COATES
FORD

XPEL

ACDELCO

Green and white "speedcafe." logo on a black background, conveying a racing theme.

Copyright © 2026 Speedcafe.com. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Our Team /  Advertise with us / Comments Policy / Privacy Policy /

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Results
  • Event guides
  • Podcasts
  • Shop
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Network 100

Copyright © 2025 Speedcafe.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Results
  • Event guides
  • Podcasts
  • Shop
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Network 100

Copyright © 2025 Speedcafe.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

[mailpoet_form id=”28″]