The 2026 Repco Supercars field began testing in Sydney on Wednesday, with Will Brown setting the fastest lap during the morning’s Druitt loop session—highlighting a strong showing as Toyotas experienced early difficulties. The Will Brown Sydney test fastest time puts him ahead of rivals while teams prepared for a two-part test, with further running planned for Thursday evening.
Brown Sets the Early Standard
On Wednesday morning, drivers had four hours on the Druitt short circuit, running from 8:30am until 12:30pm. Will Brown finished the session at the top of the timesheets with a 1:00.3458s lap, putting him 0.1622 seconds ahead of Grove Racing’s Matt Payne in his Ford. Matt Stone Racing rookie Zach Bates secured third spot, making an impression for Chevrolet.
Toyota Teams Face Challenges
Toyotas had a challenging start, with Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s reigning champion Chaz Mostert managing to be the leading Supra driver only in 16th position. Chaz Mostert logged the highest number of laps in a Supra, completing 46 throughout the session, though the tally was significantly lower than Broc Feeney’s session-best 89 laps; Feeney ended up 15th fastest overall. Ryan Wood, Mostert’s teammate, finished in 19th, while the Brad Jones Racing Toyota entries of Macauley Jones, Andre Heimgartner, and Cam Hill ranked 20th, 22nd, and 24th respectively. Andre Heimgartner’s car faced electrical problems early, resulting in the smallest lap count of the day at just 28 laps after prolonged repairs in the garage.
Session Variables and Test Structure
Performance figures from the test carry limited weight because teams used a variety of tyres, alternated drivers, and faced questions surrounding track limits particularly at the link road chicane. Although some teams allowed their co-drivers to participate, all laps were officially credited to the primary drivers in the timing records. The morning session, known as a ‘hitout’, was interrupted by three red flags, each required to remove debris from the track. Organizers also set aside time for practice starts, adding an extra layer to teams’ preparations.
Looking Ahead to the Night Session
The second segment of the test will get underway at 5:30pm on Thursday, running until 9:30pm. The results from the initial session set expectations for the full circuit running, as teams evaluate data and look to improve pace and reliability. The field will continue to adapt to conditions on the Sydney circuit, with attention on drivers such as Ryan Wood, Macauley Jones, Andre Heimgartner, Chaz Mostert, Matt Payne, Zach Bates, Cam Hill, and Broc Feeney as they respond to challenges and target better performance going into the remainder of the Repco Supercars Championship test events.
