12 Hour Explained: Rules of the race

The LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour is a unique race - and as are some of the rules and regulations that govern how it unfolds throughout the weekend and the 12 Hours of racing itself.

Here's some of the key rules and regulations we've highlighted from the official Sporting and Technical Regulations to which each team and driver must abide.

DRIVING TIME

Long-distance endurance racing is managed on time, both in the total duration of the race and the amount of time any given driver spends behind the wheel.

As such, this includes regulations that govern just how long any driver can spend behind the wheel — both in total, and across the entire race.

This year, no driver can exceed 340 minutes in total driving time. This works out to be 5.6 hours — so a big chunk of the race.

If you're ranked Platinum, Gold or Silver by the FIA, your longest continuous stint (time behind the wheel) can be no longer than 150 minutes. 

That's basically a double stint, with GT3 cars capable of between 60-80 minutes of running on a full tank of fuel.

If you're ranked Bronze, your maximum stint length at any one time is 80 minutes. No double stinting allowed.

Furthermore, Bronze-ranked drivers must complete at least 60 minutes of their driving time in the second half of the race — after the commencement of the seventh hour.

This is designed to ensure they play a role in the outcome rather than being 'used up' in the first half and parked for the remainder of the day.

There's a mandatory rest period of 60 minutes for all drivers once they have jumped out of the car.

DRIVER COOLING

Driver comfort plays a big role, especially in a hot Bathurst summer now the race is back in February.

However, teams often like to remove items like driver cool suits to keep the vehicle weight down.

They will not be able to do so, however, should Sunday's weather forecast be hotter than 30.1 Degrees Celsius at 5pm on Saturday evening.

If it is, driver cooling systems will be mandatory for all cars on Sunday.

PIT STOPS

Unlike last year, there is no set number of compulsory pit stops in the race this year, opening up the strategic opportunities for the smart teams up and down the lane.

Aside from the car controller, only four people at any one time are allowed 'over the line' — essentially into the working lane — during pit stops.

The fuel must be completed first before the team can put tyres on the car, with only two rattle guns allowed — one for each side of the car.

The engine must be switched off for each stop, and must start under its own power to resume.

All members save for the car controller must be 'over the line' and back in the safety of the garage before the car can be released, and the usual regulations around 'unsafe releases' and pit lane etiquette apply.

RUBBER

A maximum of 48 brand-new Pirelli PZERO Control Tyres can be purchased for use across the event — that's 12 sets per car.

No previously used tyres can be used at any point.

Wet tyres must be Pirelli's, of course, but their number is unlimited.

SAFETY CAR

Australia's Safety Car rules differ to others in select part of the world and it's caught people out in the past.

International drivers, especially, need to remember that when the lights go out, all weaving and tyre warming (including rapid acceleration and braking) must stop.

The lights generally are extinguished at the entry to The Chase, giving drivers ample warning.

Cars are not allowed to be more than five car lengths behind either the Safety Car, or the car in front of them in the queue, at any time.

WAVE BY

Dubbed the 'Lucky Dog' thanks to its introduction via NASCAR Racing, the wave-by rule allows for cars to make up lost laps should opportunity present.

The regulation kicks in following the commencement of the third hour of the race and will see cars that are one or more laps behind the leader will be waved past between flag points T18 (Forrest's Elbow) and T19.7 (The Chase).

Pit lane will be closed to those lapped cars once they have overlapped.

Those cars then accelerate away from the field and gain back a lap they have lost before.

Just after those cars have been waved by, the lights will go out on the Safety Car — meaning that while the lucky dog cars may be back on the lead lap, they're likely to be more than 90 seconds behind the back of the queue with much work to do. It's not just an easy free kick into contention.

If the Race Director considers track conditions unsuitable, the wave by will not be implemented.

This occurred on several occasions last year due to the often torrentially wet weather.

The 'Lucky Dog' rule runs from the start of the third hour to the start of the twelfth: In the final hour, cars will instead reposition by going through pit lane to drop to the back of the queue.

RACE START AND FINISH

The race clock starts ticking at 05:45am on Sunday morning when the green flag flies to commence the formation lap of the race, behind the Mercedes AMG Safety Car.

It finishes when the first car crosses the line 1 lap following 17:43pm Local Time.

Tickets for the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour are on sale now on Ticketek.com.