Five storylines to watch at Melbourne SuperSprint

After a four-week break, Supercars returns on the world stage at Albert Park, where the races will come thick and fast.

The MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint will be headlined by four super sprints, which won’t have pit stops, making for an all-out attack weekend.

Ahead of a spectacular show in Melbourne, we look at some of the talking points heading to Albert Park.

Can Chaz take the fight to Triple Eight?

Chaz Mostert and Walkinshaw Andretti United impressed in Bathurst, with the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Ford pushing both Triple Eight drivers all the way. Mostert’s Bathurst form produced hope of a big championship battle, and his next stop is a place he enjoys. Mostert has won four races at Albert Park, three coming in the championship points era. He won the Larry Perkins Trophy in 2019, and narrowly missed out in 2022. If Mostert and WAU get it together, there’s every chance the orange numbers could be on the #25 Ford heading to New Zealand.

Waters ready to fight back

A big storyline leaving Bathurst was the performance — or lack thereof — of Tickford Racing star Cam Waters, who is 20th in the points. Waters recently told Supercars.com that his priority is results, rather than looking at the points standings. At Albert Park, Waters has four chances to score his first win of 2024. He has never won at Albert Park, and last scored a podium there in 2019. If there was a time for Waters to breathe new life in his title attack, it’s now.

Erebus aiming for repeat

After an off-season to forget, Erebus Motorsport gave a solid account of itself in Bathurst, with Jack Le Brocq ending the weekend eighth in Race 2. Last year, the team’s march to title glory began in Melbourne, with both drivers scoring a swag of podiums, led by Brodie Kostecki’s two wins. Todd Hazelwood is confident the team can replicate its 2023 AGP pace, so watch this space.

All-out attack

For the first time, championship points races at Albert Park won’t have pit stops. Drivers can’t rely on strategy to get themselves in the fight — they must qualify well, and race even better to try and get their name on the winners’ list. Tyre management will be important, but more than ever, drivers must race smartly and cleanly, otherwise they can lose points and valuable championship ground in a heartbeat. Additionally, should Melbourne’s unpredictable weather rear its head, drivers could be forced to take on wet weather tyres under red flag conditions, making for dramatic sprints to the flag.

The threat of Safety Cars

Melbourne is often a place of drama, and that is reflected by how often the Safety Car makes an appearance. The Safety Car has appeared in 17 of the last 30 Supercars races, non-championship and championship, at a rate of 57 percent. In total, the Safety Car has appeared in 32 of the 84 Supercars races at Albert Park (38 percent). The sweeping Grand Prix circuit produces crazy Supercars action, and usually, there’s drama. Given there are no pit stops this year, that drama is set to go to another level.