New Supercars paddock a winner
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 18 March 2025
Being kicked out of the Albert Park pits created a problem for Supercars, but thanks to the new for 2025 paddock, it might have been the best thing to ever happen at the event.
The radical, but innovative move from the AGPC to shift the Supercars paddock area from behind the support pits to behind the Senna Grandstand outside of the final corner brought the sport to the people.
And to top it all off, a separate podium was erected where the drivers overlooked the fans.
It is a far cry to 2024 when Supercars was in its own bubble tucked away and hidden from the record crowds.
As a result, the new “people’s paddock” was a hit with drivers and owners alike.
“It was a tremendous effort to bring it over to the fans,” Tickford’s Matt Roberts said.
“You could not move in front of the pit garages and there might have been at least 20,000 people at different times.
“It is a much better call to have the fan engagement and it is a big tick for the sport.”
“Where we are is awesome and I have never seen so many fans watching us,” PremiAir’s Peter Xiberras said.
“Honestly it has been sensational. There have been years where we have been tucked away in a corner and no one knows we are there, but as far as fan engagement goes this has been fantastic.”
The drivers have also thrived off the atmosphere.
“I think it has been fantastic,” Cam Hill said.
“Last year some people might not have even known we were here at the track.
“It is great for the fans to see the teams working on the cars which they don’t get to see at any round really.”
“Last year I felt like there were so many fans at the track, but also no one because we were tucked away and saw almost no one for the whole weekend,” Larry Perkins Trophy winner Will Brown said.
“Now some fans might only be here to see F1, but then walk past our garages and think ‘how cool are these cars’ and hopefully they can become fans of Supercars.”
However popular the new paddock position was, it is unclear where the Supercars will be next year as there is the strong possibility the category could enjoy Albert Park all to itself.
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