Strategy wide-open in crucial Perth round
Super Soft tyre returns for second race of weekend
Wanneroo is notoriously tough on tyres
Supercars drivers and teams will be keeping a keen eye on times during Friday’s short and sharp action, ahead of a weekend that may deliver an intriguing tyre strategy battle.
Supercars returns to the typically tough-on-tyres Motormall Wanneroo Raceway, which hosts the penultimate round of the 2026 Repco Sprint Cup.
Where drivers had dual 30-minute practice sessions last year, split by a gap of nearly 90 minutes, Friday has been compressed into back-to-back 25-minute sessions.
Saturday's 120km races are set to be one-stoppers, but Wanneroo's abrasive surface could leave the door open to a bold two-stop strategy, should degradation be higher than last year.
Car set-up and driving style must be tuned around looking after the Soft and Super Soft compounds, which face a track surface that is expected to be even more abrasive than 12 months ago.
The new tyre survived the rigours of Wanneroo last year — per Supercars data analyst Scott Sinclair, the undercut gain was roughly 0.5s, meaning drivers need a tyre offset or four or more laps to overtake effectively.
Time spent in pit lane will be crucial, given top teams all stumbled under pressure in the longer races in Townsville.
Pit stop times and strategy could dictate how Saturday’s sprints end up, with track position vital to a driver’s hopes. Notably, Cam Waters led last year's second race, but missed the podium altogether after being undercut by both Triple Eight drivers and Chaz Mostert.
"Perth's an odd but fun track to come to because of the surface, grip's very up and down at certain parts because of the elevation,” Team 18 driver David Reynolds said.
"It's a decent track for racing but it's pretty chaotic, so getting clean air and getting out of the pack is important — you don't want to end up fighting and getting into the wall.
"We struggled a bit last year with tyres before we found the right set-up for Sunday and were able to run good, hopefully this year we can run up at the front starting from first practice and get in the mix for the win.”
Any time lost in practice on Friday could prove the difference for teams, particularly Triple Eight, which struggled to recover after missing out on a qualifying simulation on Townsville.
“Perth is a short lap, but it’s a really fast and challenging track, and with the Super Soft tyre returning, managing the tyre compounds across the races will be important,” Anton De Pasquale said.
“We weren’t as consistent as we wanted to be there last year, so the focus is on rolling out with a strong car from the first practice and building through the weekend.
"Qualifying and track position will be crucial because the racing can get pretty hectic, but if we roll out strong and execute well, there’s no reason we can’t fight at the front again.”
Track action commences on Friday.
