New format for V8 Supercars Championship

The V8 Supercars Commission has made a number of changes to various rounds of the 2016 fixture, paving the way for faster racing and more pitstops.

Board approval has been granted for the changes, which comprise soft-compound tyres to be adopted for all rounds other than the Supercheap Auto 1000 at Bathurst, the WD-40 SuperSprint round at Phillip Island and the F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park. Additionally, V8SC teams will be allowed a larger allocation of soft-compound tyres for each competing car, up from 324 to 400.

SuperSprint events will drop the two 60km heats on Saturday, in favour of one 120km race. As part of that deal, every car must pit at least once and change at least four tyres during the heat. The KL City Grand Prix and the ITM Auckland International SuperSprint rounds will each comprise four 100km races, and the Coates Hire 500 in Sydney will consist of two 250km races. For the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, the format will remain two 125km races on the Saturday and one 250km race on the Sunday. In Darwin, the Top Ten Shootout will return to the SKYCITY Triple Crown event.

In a press release issued earlier today, the changes as outlined were warmly received by V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton (pictured) and drivers Mark Winterbottom and Garth Tander.

"I want to thank the members of the Commission for the work they have done to help develop these formats for 2016," Warburton was quoted as saying.

"We recently announced our calendar for 2016 and believe these formats will further enhance our events and make for even more exciting racing.

"The move to soft tyres for the majority of events will mean better racing and this can only be good for teams, drivers and the fans.

 "Changes to our sprint formats will also make for more absorbing racing and four separate races in each of Auckland and Kuala Lumpur will showcase V8 Supercars on the international stage."

2015 Championship leader Winterbottom and HRT's Tander both acknowledged the new formats could only improve race fans' enjoyment of the series.

"Next year's race formats are great for both drivers and fans – V8 Supercars have listened and I think we will all be better off for the changes," 'Frosty' said.

"The soft tyre generates great racing and the challenge of trying to make it last as long as possible will be greater next year given it is going to be used everywhere but Bathurst, Phillip Island and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix."

"The single race format on Saturday at the SuperSprint events is also going to spice things up as with a compulsory stop it brings strategy back into the first day of racing. The bigger bank of tyres is also a boost so on paper it looks like we are all in for a great year of racing in 2016 no matter the format."

Tander also approved of the compulsory pit stop and 120km SuperSprint races.

"I think the fans will see better racing in 2016 with the soft tyres used in the majority of races, and a move to 120km races on the Saturday of the SuperSprints with compulsory pit stops for tyre changes," he observed.