There was nothing specifically said about a new approach pre-season, but by the end of the opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park it was clear the rules had changed for 2025.
The telltale was how Cam Waters was able to redress after running into Broc Feeney, and then actively block Will Brown to set up that epic Saturday night victory.
That sequence of events made it abundantly clear that race control would rather play on than blow the whistle.
The new approach has been led by driving standards advisor Craig Baird and, across the three rounds so far, it’s been a bumpy ride.
In some quarters it has been welcomed, even by those who have to write the cheques for crash damage.
On the other hand, there has been some criticism – particularly from the driver group.
There have been questions asked about consistency and whether incidents should be judged on their outcome.
In the lead-up to the Taupo round, there was a summit between Baird and 22 of the 24 drivers in a bid for ultimate clarity, with both sides seemingly happy with the outcome.
It didn’t stop the complaining entirely, though, with Brodie Kostecki left bemused at why Chaz Mostert wasn’t penalised on Saturday, and why Ryan Wood then was on Sunday.
Dissatisfaction with the Wood penalty also emanated from the WAU camp on Sunday evening.
But at the end of the day, this new approach is about entertainment. Which means it’s about you, the fans.
So what do you think? Is this new, hard racing the right move for Supercars?
Vote now in the Pirtek Poll.
Discussion about this post