Kostecki Ends Chevrolet’s Supercars Streak in Dramatic Melbourne Opener

Ford secured a significant victory in the Supercars Championship, ending Chevrolet’s dominant 12-race winning streak. Brodie Kostecki of Dick Johnson Racing claimed victory in the opening race of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend at Albert Park on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Kostecki’s Challenging Road to Victory

Kostecki’s win was particularly remarkable given his pre-race illness. He experienced discomfort during his qualifying lap, requiring a quick stop to address the issue before the race. Despite this, he secured pole position – the fifth different driver to achieve this in five races – and maintained his lead throughout the 17-lap race (shortened from 19 laps due to a safety car period).

Race Highlights and Key Performances

Kostecki led from start to finish, finishing 0.46 seconds ahead of Broc Feeney of Triple Eight Race Engineering. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) finished second, narrowly leading Feeney in the championship points standings. The top four positions were dominated by Ford Mustang drivers, with James Golding (Blanchard Racing Team) securing fourth place.

Chaz Mostert, driving a Walkinshaw TWG Toyota GR Supra, led the chase behind the Ford contingent, facing pressure from Cam Waters and Will Brown.

Driver Reactions

“I need a little more in race trim, Matty [Payne] was breathing down my neck at the end there,” Kostecki said after the race. “I have had better days. The last time I felt like this I was a race at the Mountain!” He also acknowledged previous execution issues, referencing a race in Sydney last month.

Payne commented on the close competition, stating, “I think we were pretty close, we got right to the back of him on the last lap.” He added, “It’s chess racing; I was trying to save the tyres, but we just ran out of laps at the end.”

Feeney expressed satisfaction with his podium finish, despite aiming for a win. “Not a bad day, a podium but not what we came here for,” he said. “I was happy with that one [the start] but I just didn’t have the pace of these two guys. We are just lacking a little bit of speed.”

Other Notable Performances

Ryan Wood finished eighth in the other Walkinshaw TWG Supra, while Anton De Pasquale secured ninth place as the highest-placed Chevrolet Camaro driver. Kai Allen demonstrated a strong recovery drive, advancing 13 positions after an incident on the opening lap to finish 11th.

Jayden Ojeda, despite topping the opening practice session, faced challenges after an incident in the second session, but his team managed to repair his Chevrolet Camaro and he recovered to 16th place.

Supercars Commitment to the Australian Grand Prix

Supercars has confirmed its continued participation as a support program at the Australian Grand Prix for the next three years, ensuring races at the Albert Park circuit through at least 2029.

The Supercars will return to Albert Park for the second race of the weekend on Friday.