Explained: What are team orders rules in Supercars?

Team orders. They're dirty words in motorsport, and in Supercars, it's no different.

Team orders controversy has gripped motorsport for generations. If you're fighting for championships, invariably, you'll also be up against a teammate, and it can get quite murky.

From 2025, the Supercars landscape changes as drivers fight for the title in The Finals. 10 drivers go into the Gold Coast, and three drop out. Three more drop out at Sandown, leaving four to fight it out for the crown in Adelaide. The numbers don't stack up: some teams (and drivers) will be left aggrieved.

Team orders will almost certainly play a role in The Finals. How teams pull off these big calls, without stoking too more fires, will be telling.

First of all, what are Supercars' team orders rules?

Traipse through the Supercars Operations Manual, and you'll come across 'Division D', commonly known as the 'Sporting Rules'. There, you'll find all the rules that keep drivers and teams on the straight and narrow, including team orders.

The team orders rule reads:

D25. TEAM ORDERS

D25.1 Team Orders

25.1.1 Means an instruction to a Driver or Team member, either verbal or otherwise the effect of which may interfere with a race result.

25.1.2 It is not permitted for any sponsor, supplier, entity or related entity, including an Automobile manufacturer, importer or their representative to impose or seek to impose Team orders, on any Team.

So... are team orders allowed in Supercars?

Yes, team orders are allowed in Supercars.

Rule 25.1.1, "an instruction to a Driver or Team member, either verbal or otherwise the effect of which may interfere with a race result," means a team can impose its own orders.

However, per Rule 25.1.2, teams cannot be influenced by third parties, such as "any sponsor, supplier, entity or related entity, including an Automobile manufacturer, importer or their representative."

All told, teams are allowed to order their cars to reposition on track. They can also sacrifice one to help the other on strategy. But the call must come from the team, and the team alone.

What can't teams do?

Obviously, teams can't break rules to influence races.

Teams and drivers cannot deliberately breach driving standards with on-track incidents to influence races. More simply, don't order drivers to take cars out.

At the 2019 Bathurst 1000, DJR Team Penske was fined $250,000 and stripped 300 points from their teams’ championship tally. This was following an order to one of its drivers to slow down excessively under Safety Car.

Notable examples of team orders

Bathurst 2019 is perhaps the most well-known example, given it came in the most-watched race of the season, and the penalties that followed. Stewards concluded the team breached the FIA’s Obligation of Fairness regulations, but importantly, stopped short of implicating the squad’s sister car that won the race.

Team orders sagas made headlines this year, namely Tickford Racing tension at Symmons Plains in May. Triple Eight team orders were also used to settle the run to Turn 1 in Melbourne and in the fight for pit priority in Townsville. In 2023, also in Townsville, Triple Eight also made headlines with an awkward swap between Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney

Team orders rules were clarified after a controversial position swap at Pukekohe 2018, where van Gisbergen passed Jamie Whincup's sister car within sight of the flag from 10 seconds behind to take second place. On that occasion, Triple Eight denied they had enacted team orders, and claimed Whincup was forced to back off over concerns he would run out of fuel. Given Rule 25.1.2 was initially amended before 2018 to remove 'team' from the parties in 25.1.2, Triple Eight were not in breach of regulations.

Team orders rules were introduced after tense scenarios during the peak of the Ford and Holden rivalry, where teams ganged up on each other. Look no further than the 2006 finale, where Walkinshaw cars from the Toll HSV Dealer Team and the Holden Racing Team made life tough for Ford's Craig Lowndes.

That flashpoint still resonates with Lowndes to this day, the Hall of Famer writing in his Supercars.com column: "I’ve lived it. Back in 2006, there was genuine gamesmanship going on in the season finale. Back then, we were leading the way for Ford, and there were plenty of games going on from others, beyond just trying to beat Rick Kelly."

What could it mean for The Finals?

10 drivers enter the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 with a chance at being crowned the 2025 Supercars champion. That's a fact. This year, four teams (Triple Eight, Penrite Racing, Tickford Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United) have both cars in. As I said, the math doesn't add up: there will be cranky drivers.

Team orders sagas are fodder for journalists and fans, given one side is always unhappier than the other. That will be more prevalent than ever in The Finals, given team orders could be used to knock drivers out of championship contention.

Teams need to be careful, smart and subtle. McLaren's current Formula 1 drivers' championship bid is suffering because the team isn't backing one horse. The tension is playing out in plain sight, and the conspiracies are wide-ranging.

What is clear, is that officials won't act kindly on teams who use unsavoury tactics to manipulate races. Speaking to Supercars.com earlier this year, Driving Standards Advisor Craig Baird suggested there could be wider-reaching penalties should teams resort to controversial tactics.

Additionally, Baird referenced Rule 25.1.2, saying: "We've already got rules in place where manufacturers can't team up and group up together to disadvantage another manufacturer. I don't think some teams actually realise how harsh some penalties can be if you're altering the outcome of a championship. That stuff must have major consequences."

Earlier this year, championship-winning engineer Scott Sinclair suggested teams will look at "strategic plays focused on helping the lead car by hindering or irritating your competitors," which would be the "equivalent of what a 'defender' does in any ball sport.

Today, Sinclair opined over the headaches are facing, yet posed the simplest (yet hardest for teams to achieve) scenario: "Having a fast car, starting at the front and making no mistakes is all it takes. Easy, right?"

If you're racing for a championship against your teammate? Good luck.