Expert Preview: Brown's surprise deficit, where giant killing teams stand

This is an exclusive pre-event Supercars.com column by championship-winning Race Engineer Scott Sinclair. Sinclair will preview and debrief each round of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective.

We can't draw any solid conclusions from only one event but this weekend's second event of the championship at Albert Park will help start to separate the genuine contenders from those who simply got it right at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Built for side-by-side racing

Albert Park creates arguably the championship's most entertaining racing, and the layout is the major reason why. Four sections of the track feature a corner in one direction immediately followed by a corner in the opposite direction. If you're on the outside through the first turn and can hold your ground, you're suddenly on the inside at the next one. No other circuit on the calendar has this many switchback sequences. Combine that with a track width that's wider than anywhere else we go, and it's a recipe for side-by-side racing. When you add shorter races with no pit stops and minimal tyre management requirements to the mix, the outcome is often great racing. 

Where does BRT stand?

From a Race Engineer’s perspective, the Albert Park weekend is the simplest of the year. No pit stop strategy and no tyre management planning, just pure car set-up. That's what makes this weekend such a revealing test for Blanchard Racing Team. Their pace seemed effortless in Sydney, but the historical correlation between car speed at Sydney Motorsport Park and Albert Park is low. This, combined with the logistical and operational quirks that come with racing at a Formula 1 event, will reveal the true extent of BRT's team-wide improvement.

Brown's bounceback

Will Brown’s ability to bounce back this weekend will be a storyline to watch. His recent qualifying struggles aside, the bigger concern in Sydney was his race pace, something we've rarely seen him struggle with. He was the 11th fastest car in race trim across the weekend, averaging 0.39 seconds per lap slower than teammate Broc Feeney. That resulted in a race weekend where, for only the second time since joining Triple Eight in 2024, his average race finish position was outside the top 10 (enduros excluded). History would suggest, though, we can expect a quick bounce back. 

Can MSR replicate the record?

Twelve months ago, Matt Stone Racing dominated at Albert Park. While a lot has changed since then, their SMP form was also encouraging. Zach Bates ranked seventh in qualifying across the three races, a remarkable result for a rookie, while Jack Le Brocq gained 23 positions over the weekend to finish seventh overall. Stating the obvious, qualifying is key to whether MSR can replicate last year's results. Albert Park is ranked number one on the calendar for lap time lost when following another car during the race, meaning starting mid-pack is unlikely to net the same number of trophies as last year.

Weekend watch

Erebus had a tough start at Sydney, but keep an eye on Cooper Murray. At last year's Albert Park round, which was only the second weekend of his rookie campaign, he delivered his best qualifying performance of the year. David Reynolds is the other one to watch. He scored as many points across the three Sydney races as he managed in the first eight races of last season. Four clean races this weekend, and his 2026 will already look vastly different to last year.

Twelve of this year's 24 drivers already have a Supercars race win to their name. My prediction for this weekend: plenty of side-by-side action, Safety Cars, and a 13th name added to the winners' list by Sunday afternoon.

Scott Sinclair is one of the most respected voices in pit lane, famously engineering James Courtney to the 2010 championship with Dick Johnson Racing. Sinclair also spent stints at the Holden Racing Team and Kelly Racing, spent time on the Supercars Commission, and recently joined Supercars as a data analyst.

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.