It's Sydney race week! Five storylines to watch as 2025 kicks off

A news-filled summer finally gives way to a massive week in Sydney, with a big day of pre-season testing followed by the Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round.

The party got started in a huge way on Sunday, with seven Gen3 Supercars crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge in a clear sign of intent that 2025 will be one to remember.

The first hints of what we can expect on track in 2024 will present themselves at Wednesday's test day, but the wick will be turned up big time on day one, with Race 1 set for Friday night under lights.

So much is new, headlined by the new formats, tyres and some big driver moves. We also have a new reigning champion, who will run the #1.

As the new season prepares to get underway, here are a few of the talking points heading back to Sydney.

Racing is BACK, and a new era starts now!

There have been some big news stories throughout the off-season, but by the time the lights go out on Friday night, it will have been 96 days since Adelaide and the last time Supercars raced in anger.

Kicking off the 2025 season is a big race week in Sydney, with three days of racing following the all-in test day. This time around, Sydney marks the start of the biggest ever shake-ups in the sport’s history.

There are 34 races, up from 24 in 2024, starting with eight rounds of the Repco Sprint Cup. Every race and every point matters, as drivers aim to reach the Finals. It all starts here, and the action will come thick and fast...

Brown kicks off championship defence

Will Brown was a deserving champion in 2024, winning five races and claiming a podium at every single round. The Queenslander wasn't overly dominant, but was remarkably consistent, and made very few mistakes on race day.

Running the champion's #1 is clear intent that Brown is comfortable being the hunted, given there will be 23 hungry drivers determined to bring him down a rung or two.

However, the grid will need to minimise mistakes to beat Brown, who has already flagged his clear desire to go back-to-back.

What can Kostecki achieve on DJR debut?

The biggest driver change story of the season is Brodie Kostecki's move to Dick Johnson Racing, which has undergone plenty of change.

Kostecki and teammate Will Davison will race new cars in 2025, the former's a new Erebus Motorsport-built chassis. Kostecki ended 2024 in fine form, and arrives at a DJR determined to banish the poor results of 2023 and 2024.

DJR wants to win, as do all teams, but Team Principal Dr Ryan Story flagged last year that the goal is to be in a competitive position by the Finals. However, can the team make an immediate splash in Sydney, where Kostecki won under lights in '23, and Davison claimed pole in '24?

The effect of new tyre

Dunlop's control Soft tyre is a brand-new construction for 2025, with the previous Hard and Soft tyre no longer in use.

Through testing, the new Soft tyre has been touted as being faster and, crucially, more durable. As seen in tyre testing, drivers will have to work harder, and are in turn expected to race harder.

Sydney is tough on tyres, and while the new tyre will last longer, drivers will have to balance tyre wear and hard racing. The Saturday and Sunday 200km races will be a big test, but watch for Friday's 100km sprint to be a heart-stopping affair.

New formats, including Friday night sprint

There's no time to waste on Friday, with drivers thrown into a 100km sprint race following two short practice sessions and a Boost Mobile Qualifying session.

After getting the elbows out in the 100km sprint, drivers will then have to fight for pole in Boost Mobile Shootouts on Saturday and Sunday, followed by 200km refuelling races.

Sydney will be the first round with the new fuel churn, which teams will have to find comfort with as soon as possible in order to be fastest on pit road. Every second matters, and time lost in the pits could prove the difference.

Additionally, fastest lap bonus points will also be on offer, provided drivers finish in the top 15. Drivers could leave Sydney with as many as 315 points, but mistakes and incidents could prove costly, putting them behind the eight-ball in the quest to reach the Finals.

The new-look grid will roll out at the pre-season test day at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 19, and Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round on February 21-23. Tickets for the test day and Sydney 500 - Opening Round are available now.