De Pasquale quickest as 2025 kicks off in Sydney
Anton De Pasquale quickest as 2025 kicks off in Sydney
De Pasquale leads teammate David Reynolds, BRT duo in intriguing session
Boost Mobile Qualifying to set Race 1 grid at 4:20pm AEDT
Anton De Pasquale set the pace in the opening practice session of the 2025 season at the Thrifty Sydney 500, with Team 18 leading the the Blanchard Racing Team Fords amid a mixture of run plans.
De Pasquale, who replaced Supercars champion and Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom at the Charlie Schwerkolt-owned team, flew out of the blocks in his #18 DEWALT Chevrolet.
The Victorian clocked a 1:30.0226s to lead teammate David Reynolds by 0.4742s, with the #20 TRADIE Energy driver forming a surprise Team 18 one-two ahead of BRT teammates James Courtney and Aaron Love.
As the chequered flag unfurled, Tickford Racing star Cam Waters went fastest in the first sector, and even quicker in the second. However, a track limits violation left Waters in 17th, in a session the Ford star logged the most laps with 17.
Andre Heimgartner and Bryce Fullwood made it a Brad Jones Racing five-six, with Cameron Hill, Brodie Kostecki, Thomas Randle and Ryan Wood rounding out the top 10.
Reigning champion Will Brown was 12th, with Waters one position ahead of 2024 runner-up Broc Feeney. Chaz Mostert, who won both Sydney races last July, was 20th.
Brown (1:30.7237s) and Feeney (1:30.9757s) opened proceedings, with De Pasquale (1:30.0226s) the clear pace-setter after the first flying laps.
De Pasquale's time held firm for the rest of the 30-minute session, despite a flurry of late times, led by Waters.
The balance of the field came straight back into pit lane after their only laps of their first runs, with Heimgartner (fourth), Fullwood (fifth) and Brown (ninth) improving before coming in.
Through 10 minutes, De Pasquale led Courtney, Love, Heimgartner, Fullwood, Hill, Wood, Nick Percat, Brown and Kostecki. The order remained unchanged for the balance of the session, with teams seemingly determined to learn the tyre and put it to the test in race runs.
The majority of the field then returned to the lane with four minutes remaining, with the Fords of Waters (15 laps), Randle (14) and Wood (11) the only drivers with lap counts in double figures.
All drivers returned to the track for a final crack, with Reynolds jumping to second. Waters loomed to blow everyone out of the water, only to breach track limits.
Cars will return to the track for Boost Mobile Qualifying at 4:20pm AEDT, which will set the grid for the 26-lap Race 1 at 7:50pm.
