Sandown is a very different circuit to the most recent rounds we’ve raced at. What makes it unique and what are the challenges for a team in setting up a Supercar here?
At just over three kilometres in lap length, Sandown is almost exactly half a Bathurst lap, that’s a big difference from a circuit we’ve been at recently just before the Gold Coast street circuit. Like every track, it changes with temperature, rubber, surface age, and the weather… Melbourne rain. Sandown more than most circuits has its own quirks and a lot of that comes from the change in track surface throughout the lap – something a car needs to be set up for and a driver needs to negotiate.
At turn one the braking zone is bumpy and crosses several changing surfaces, it’s not uniform driving across it even as localized as that one corner – it gets bumpier the further left you go. The corner itself is already low grip and it pushes a car and driver to understeer on exit before you attack turn two. Then when you get to turn four just down the road there’s newer tarmac, better surface, more mid-corner grip than you’ve just come from. Fast forward to turn nine which has been recently resurfaced so your mid corner speed is even higher.
Where do the car and driver need to be strong around Sandown?
Corner exit speed and stability is key, that’s where you need to be strong. Both straights are about 900m long, so speed out of both turn four and turn thirteen pays off all the way down those straights. Turn five is only a kink of a corner, so how much speed you can carry out of turn four essentially sets your speed all the way through turn six as well.
Putting the power down without wheel spin is more important and more of an advantage here than anywhere else.
You still have to be strong under brakes here too. There are three key points of the lap where it’s a huge advantage to be strong under brakes. Turn one, heavy braking from top speed over bumps and changes in surface. It’s the main overtaking spot, easy to lock a wheel, so important to be strong here. Turn six at the end of the back straight, you’re braking downhill in to a left hander. If you’re not good here there’s been a history of big crashes at that corner. Turn nine, it’s a slow hairpin and the stronger you can be under brakes the better traction you can get on exit.
What were the learnings from last season here that you can take in to this seasons race?
Broc (Car #88) won last years wet-dry race on the Sunday from the front of the grid with the right tyre and strategy calls. Getting those calls right is essential with rain possible this weekend on the Saturday. With the varying grip levels and changing surface around this track it can make things very interesting with a bit of water.
We’ve seen in the past grip changes between the old and new sections of the track, so the car needs to stay predictable when it goes from one to the other. In the wet, those transitions get much worse.
Because the surface is low-grip, rear setup needs to be aimed at clean drive out of the slow corners. Wheelspin, which you don’t want, costs lap time and wears the rear tyres. Sandown is a high-tyre degradation track that rewards looking after the rear tyres.
What is the team’s approach going in to this semi final round of the Supercars Finals?
With both Red Bull Ampol Racing drivers still in the Championship hunt, Broc, Will and the team need to have each other’s backs. Other teams can afford to play the game a bit more. Our focus is rolling out and setting up two consistently fast, reliable cars for both qualifying sessions and both races – that’s what’s going to put us in the best position this weekend.
Two Red Bull Ampol Racing Ford Mustangs, two chances, but the aim is to win races and get both cars to Adelaide.
*Quotes not for republishing