Burning questions: Can Ford finally snap Bathurst drought?

It's been a dry run for Ford at Mount Panorama, with the Blue Oval winless in the Great Race since 2019.

In the six years since Scott McLaughlin crossed the line to win, Mustang drivers have crashed, spun out, been unable to dislodge General Motors rivals, and even got caught up with wildcards.

That's not to say that there haven't been near misses and heartbreaks along the way, with the Blue Oval having appeared on the Bathurst podium four times since their last victory.

Cam Waters and Will Davison were 0.8s away from victory after starting on pole in 2020, before Waters teamed up with James Moffat to finish second in 2021 and third in 2022. Anton De Pasquale and Tony D'Alberto were the last drivers to finish on the Bathurst podium in a Mustang, claiming third in 2023.

On paper, this year could very well be the strongest attack that Ford have assembled since Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat claimed the spoils on October 13, 2019, however controversial their weekend may have been.

Firstly, what led to five straight defeats for Ford?

James: It's important to preface that General Motors' current run of five between 2020 and 2024 isn't even its best. Holden won seven straight between 1999 and 2005 before Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup went on a tear.

Holden won four straight between 2015 and 2018. The 2019 win was Ford's first since that race in 2014, which followed victory in 2013. Before that, Holdens reeled off four wins between 2009 and 2012.

You could argue that at no stages in the last five years have Ford drivers had the Great Race by the scruff of the neck, despite Cam Waters taking pole in 2020 and 2022.

In 2020, the pole-sitting Waters Ford was overhauled by Shane van Gisbergen as rain fell, and the latter held on from there. In 2021, the Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden was class of the field, with van Gisbergen handing second to Waters after a late puncture.

Waters was the only Ford in the top five in 2022 despite co-driver James Moffat being turned around midway through the race, while Moffat crashed out a year later at The Dipper. Anton De Pasquale/Tony D'Alberto scrambled to third, amid two years of Chevrolet dominance.

Will weight in numbers be enough to topple Triple Eight?

Zac: At The Bend a few weeks ago, it was. But beware the rebound from the 10-time Bathurst champions, Triple Eight.

Triple Eight's Bend weekend hit a serious snag with Jamie Whincup and Scott Pye's practice collision in the Safety Car procedure test, with the Will Brown/Pye entry only managing 16th on the grid after a troubled qualifying.

After starting on pole, Broc Feeney/Whincup's charge was thwarted by a refuelling drama at their very first stop, leaving the door wide open

Of Ford's 10-strong attack, Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood (Dick Johnson Racing), Cam Waters/Mark Winterbottom (Tickford), Matt Payne/Garth Tander (Penrite Racing), and Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard (Walkinshaw Andretti United) should all be considered genuine threats.

The entries of Ryan Wood/Jayden Ojeda (WAU), and Thomas Randle/James Moffat (Tickford) could also emerge as contenders if they get things right, and it's hard to see where any other legitimate GM players outside of Triple Eight may come from.

Can high profile co-driver additions keep Ford teams in the game?

James: Bathurst winners Mark Winterbottom and Todd Hazelwood are two big boosts to the Ford camp. If they're in your corner, you know you're in with a serious chance.

Five-time Bathurst champion Garth Tander makes his third start in a Penrite Ford, yet is more fired up than ever to perform after being left frustrated at The Bend.

Then, Walkinshaw Andretti United has two solid pairings in Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard, and Ryan Wood/Jayden Ojeda. Mostert/Coulthard had speed at The Bend, but were undone by a strategy gamble. Ojeda, meanwhile, was one of the surprise packets at the Mountain last year, and will be a handful among his co-driver peers this year.

The Kostecki/Hazelwood and Waters/Winterbottom pairings were the ones to beat at The Bend, on pace, strategy and race craft. So, can these star co-driver signings make the difference, and should they battle for the win, can they keep it clean?

Can Ford drivers stay out of trouble?

Zac: Whether entirely of their own doing or completely out of their own control, the Blue Oval has certainly found trouble on plenty occasions in recent years at Bathurst.

Last year was a prime example; Matt Payne was the only retirement in the race after crashing at The Cutting, Cam Waters threw if off the road at Hell Corner early, Chaz Mostert clashed with lapped traffic not long after, and Richie Stanaway ran out of fuel on the final lap.

The #6 Monster Energy Mustang was also in the thick of things in 2023, when James Moffat crunched the wall in The Esses mid-race, whilst Payne's former co-driver Kevin Estre found himself beached at Hell Corner early in his opening stint.

Even while DJR Team Penske were dominating in 2019, Waters and then Tickford teammate Chaz Mostert were involved in an infamous clash at The Chase that wiped them both out of contention from a strong position.

Whilst there has been plenty made of Ford's competitiveness in the last few years, it's also unquestionable that Ford's best chances have tripped over themselves several times.

It will be imperative that a clean run is had by all of their top chances if Ford are to stand any chance in October, across both drivers and teams.

What about the 'P' word?

James: Mustangs from Dick Johnson Racing, Tickford Racing and Grove Racing swept the podium at The Bend, after Supercars permitted aerodynamic changes to the Ford package. While it proved a Blue Oval day, the Broc Feeney Chevrolet did claim pole, with Feeney scoring 12 wins and 14 poles this season.

There's no doubt, though, that Camaro teams didn't have a good day. Notably, the Feeney/Jamie Whincup car fell out of contention with a refuelling issue, with Whincup running off twice. The sister car started 16th, with Will Brown/Scott Pye recovering to fourth.

Unlike their previous 10 enduro efforts between 2019 and 2024, Ford converted to its first Supercars endurance race win since 2019 Bathurst. On paper, they're good signs, but Ford Racing Australia motorsport boss Brendan McGinniskin insisted the they're "under no illusions" heading to Mount Panorama.

Kostecki added: "It’s sort of hard for me to really tell, I wasn’t around too many other cars... it’s great to win the race but I feel like I’m really good around this place too. It’s a tough one.

"Probably Toddy [Hazelwood] spent some time behind a Camaro [Whincup] for a little bit, but probably knew we were a bit stronger than those guys with our race pace. We seem to always do well at this place. I think in the last four races I’ve been able to win four of them, so I feel really lucky."

Matt Payne added: "I think The Bend has always been a pretty good track for us. I had a pretty good round here back in 2023 when we first came here with these cars. I always thought we had a pretty good shot coming in here. I think the real test is when we get to Bathurst."

Track action at Mount Panorama commences on Thursday October 9, with the 2025 race to start at 11:45am AEDT on Sunday October 12.