Supercars targets flat out racing with Taupō tweak

A minor tweak to the ITM Taupō Super 440 schedule is set to encourage “flat out” racing for teams as Supercars season resumes.

While one of the slowest average speed circuits on the calendar, the 3.321km Taupō circuit is one of the toughest on fuel consumption.

The 200km Sunday race, initially scheduled for 61 laps, has been reduced by one lap to 60 in a bid to encourage teams to be more aggressive on strategy.

Supercars has also introduced a new fuel blend in 2026, specially formulated to meet the extreme demands of Supercars racing for the 2026 season.

Through close collaboration between bp’s local and global fuel technology teams and Supercars technical experts, the new fuel is 100% made from renewable materials composed of 85% ethanol and 15% bio-gasoline from waste material.

The new fuel has slightly increased fuel consumption, meaning fuel saving could come at the cost of hard racing. A reduction of one lap gives teams and drivers extra margin, ensuring some drivers and teams won’t be forced to opt to fuel-saving strategies before the race even begins.

“How drivers and teams balance racing and fuel consumption has a big say on what you see on track,” Supercars Chief Motorsport Officer Tim Edwards said.

“This change offers some margin for the heavier fuel consumption drivers, but will also encourage drivers and teams to be flat out on track and on strategy.

“We love seeing drivers and teams push the limits to chase wins, and we believe this will add another layer of strategic variability to the racing."

Track action in Taupō commences on Friday April 10.