Bathurst, undoubtedly Australia’s premier racing precinct, will test the best of the drivers ability. Only those with the sheer determination and patience will come out on top in the challenge of taming the 6.213 kilometre circuit.

This week, Thomas Hinns takes the keys to the track at Bathurst highlighting what is important around Mount Panorama.

Strong Qualifying:

Qualifying well is particularly important at Bathurst. Getting caught up in the pack early can cost you bucket loads of time or force you on to an undesirable strategy early trying to find clean air. Starting further back can also put you at heighten risk of being caught in incidents as the squabbling is always intense in the mid-pack, this track also generally amplifying them to be even more destructive than at others.

Smart driving early on:

With the extra difficulty the mountain provides to drivers, making the right moves early on is key to being there when it matters at the checkered flag. Making up a dozen spots in the first few laps is a great look for the stats sheet, but if doing so leads to damage or causing incidents which give you penalties, this is valuable time lost that will come back to haunt you when it’s crunch time in the closing laps of the race.

The fuel game

Strategy is always important in these longer races with multiple pit stops, the unique style of the mountain giving it an even bigger importance to who is crowned the victor at races end. With a multitude of opportunities to save fuel across the lap, several seconds can be cut off in the pits if you take advantage of these chances. Do you go -100 and save as much as you can, risking a repeat of the ultimate nightmare we’ve seen happen before? Or do you go flat out, pumping in those qualifying laps to make up time lost in the lane?

Risk vs Reward

Bathurst is legendary for being one of the most difficult tracks in the world, with walls within touching distance and elevation changes like no other circuit on the planet. Knowing just how close you can get to the concrete, lap after lap, without ending up as another highlight of how not to drive the mountain is crucial for finding those extra few hundredths that can be all you need to be up the front and staying there. Don’t overstep that mark though, as there’s very rarely a small crash at Bathurst.

Flipping the switch

Despite being two completely different styles of Motorsport, the Daytona 500 and Bathurst do have a few similarities. Smart driving, saving fuel and big crashes aside, a key point that links these two races is the ability to ‘flip the switch’ once the business end of the race hits. Setting yourself up to be there and then find that extra gear to go to when the all important final run to the flag begins is the difference between a top 5 finish and victory.