Engineer details Kostecki smarts that delivered 'unbelievable' moment

While Brodie Kostecki didn’t “blow the doors off” his rivals in Sydney like he hoped for, there was a moment that proved the 2023 champion will be a force this season.

Kostecki turned in results of sixth, 14th and fourth at the Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round, ending his first weekend in Shell V-Power colours in eighth overall.

Through three races, Kostecki saved his best until last, putting on a rare around-the-outside pass on Broc Feeney in trying conditions late in the finale.

Overtaking around the outside is a rarity in touring car racing, given how evenly-matched cars and drivers are.

Kostecki, though, made it work on slick tyres on a wet track in a move commentator and Supercars Hall of Famer Neil Crompton dubbed as “unbelievable.”

As rain continued to fall, Kostecki had been setting Feeney up by using the concrete verges at Turns 2 and 6 to find more grip. With two laps to go, as Feeney stuck to the conventional racing line, Kostecki went for it.

Feeney attacked through Turn 1 and got up the inside at Turn 2, but Kostecki backed himself and again took to the concrete, and rounded Feeney up through Turn 3.

The man on the other side of Kostecki’s performance, Race Engineer George Commins, claimed the move was proof of the driver’s "amazing racecraft” and "ability behind the wheel."

“Two laps to go, Brodie got past Broc around the outside of Turn 6,” Commins said in a team video.

“Using all of the road in the most tricky conditions possible — raining, slick tyres. He ran all the way out onto the concrete, found that extra little bit of grip, and managed to make the pass stick.

Despite being unable to get onto the podium in Sydney, Kostecki was excited to get to Melbourne, where he famously won the Larry Perkins Trophy in 2023.

Two years ago, Kostecki won his first Supercars race, backed it up with win No. 2, and charged to a fourth podium in as many days to take home the weekend prize.

“Really excited going into the Grand Prix,” Kostecki said.

“It’s one of my favourite tracks, and I ran good there in the past, really excited to go there.

“We’ll get a few weeks off, work out where we went wrong, and see if we can tune the cars up a bit more."