Randle lashes 'terrible' Sandown qualifying result

Thomas Randle's title hopes in the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship have been dealt a hammer blow as a Tickford strategy gamble backfired in Boost Mobile Qualifying for Race 30.

Tickford, along with pit lane neighbours Walkinshaw Andretti United, elected to use just one run in the final minutes of the opening segment of qualifying, the only teams in the lane on a one-run strategy.

For Tickford, this morning also marked the first time that the former Ford factory team had used the Super Soft tyre all weekend.

Whilst WAU pair Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood, as well as Randle's teammate Cam Waters all safely transferred to Q2, Randle struggled to get up to speed, not showing great enough improvement.

Whilst most times in the session were set on a second lap, Randle was forced into a do-or-die situation on a third flying lap, with his 1:09.4358 only good enough for 22nd on the grid.

Randle was the only Finals Driver who failed to progress out of Q1, and entering the weekend as the last of the championship seven, needs to conjure a huge drive this afternoon to stay in the hunt.

"It was just terrible really, I didn't maximise that," said a bemused Randle post-session.

"Obviously we elected one run, Chaz did as well as Woody and Cam, and I think I just predicted grip and we only had one or two laps to do it.

"In hindsight, maybe I needed that extra run at the start, but anyway you can't look back, and we've got to go pretty deep into the strategy for the race now.

"We're very out of position, so pretty disappointed. I feel like I've let everyone down."

Randle, who is running a Larry Perkins-inspired retro livery this weekend, said he hopes to emulate the six-time Bathurst winner's heroic 1995 Bathurst win, where he went from last to first alongside Russel Ingall: "I bloody hope so. It's just disappointing.

"We've got to reset now, we're got a stronger car than that, I'm really annoyed at myself.

"It's not good enough."

To further rub salt into the wound, Waters progressed into the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout, qualifying a provisional 10th, before securing ninth in the Shootout.