Sydney Motorsport Park played host to a weekend of mixed fortunes for Red Bull Ampol Racing, as Will Brown navigated a challenging start to the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship season. While the reigning champion expressed satisfaction with his qualifying pace, a series of unfortunate incidents during the races hampered his ability to challenge teammate Broc Feeney, who dominated the Sydney 500. The weekend highlighted the competitive intensity within the team and the unpredictable nature of Supercars racing.
Brown, who secured the championship in near-perfect fashion last year with consistent podium finishes, found himself battling for position throughout the Sydney event. A key difference this season appears to be a struggle with one-lap speed, forcing him to fight through the field during the races. Despite this, Brown remained optimistic about his overall performance and the potential of the Red Bull Ampol Racing Mustang.
The opening day of the season saw Feeney qualify fourth for Friday’s race, while Brown started eighth. Saturday brought further challenges for Brown, as he missed out on the Top 10 Shootout, qualifying in 13th, compared to Feeney’s ninth. Sunday offered a glimmer of hope, with Brown initially outpacing Feeney in the second leg of qualifying. However, changing track conditions ultimately favored Feeney, who secured pole position, while Brown finished fifth.
“We were just over a tenth off in the shootout and unfortunately that was fifth, but usually that’d be further up,” Brown explained to Speedcafe. “So I felt like I was closer to Broc this weekend. I got a seventh and a fifth in the top 10 twice in qualifying. We could race from there. One of the qualifyings wasn’t great, but it just felt like we went the wrong way.”
Feeney’s Dominance and Brown’s Struggles
The results sheet reflected Feeney’s strong performance, with victories in the first and third races of the weekend. An unsafe release during the second race relegated him to sixth, but he still demonstrated impressive speed and consistency. Brown, faced a series of setbacks. He finished seventh in Race 1, but was then penalized for spinning his wheels while airborne during a pit stop in Race 2, dropping him down the order.
Race 3 proved to be particularly frustrating for Brown. He was involved in a collision with Brodie Kostecki and Anton De Pasquale, which sent him to the back of the field and resulted in a penalty. Adding to his woes, Brown experienced a cool suit failure, forcing him to seek medical attention due to overheating. Despite the difficulties, Brown maintained a positive outlook.
“I felt like I was happy with our qualifying this weekend and very happy with our race pace,” Brown stated. “Spinning the wheels in the pits, the cool suit, the crash, double stacking, it was just a weekend of everything fucking up unfortunately. We’ll go to Melbourne and have a crack. Just go for it.”
Sydney 500 Results: Feeney vs. Brown
Here’s a breakdown of the qualifying and race results for Broc Feeney and Will Brown at the Sydney 500:
| Session | Broc Feeney | Will Brown |
| R1 Q1 | 5th | 3rd |
| R1 Q2 | 4th | 8th |
| R1 | 1st | 7th |
| R2 Q1 | 2nd | 10th |
| R2 Q2 | 6th | 13th |
| R2 TTSO | 9th | N/A |
| R2 | 6th | 15th |
| R3 Q1 | 1st | 3rd |
| R3 Q2 | 10th | 7th |
| R3 TTSO | 1st | 5th |
| R3 | 1st | 18th |
Brown acknowledged the Race 3 incident, attributing it to a racing incident in the wet conditions. “It was a bit wet. They both pushed in and pushed a bit wide,” he said. “I thought I could get up the inside, which would then be the outside for the next corner and maybe pass them, and unfortunately three cars into one corner don’t go. I probably should have known that, and I was the third car there, so I definitely understand why the blame was on me. Sorry to Anton and his crew. There was nothing deliberate and it was just a racing incident.”
Looking Ahead to Melbourne
The Repco Supercars Championship now moves to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 5-8. Red Bull Ampol Racing will be looking to build on Feeney’s strong start to the season and address the challenges faced by Brown. The Melbourne event promises to be another exciting chapter in the 2026 Supercars Championship, with both drivers eager to showcase their skills on a different circuit.
The team will undoubtedly analyze the data from Sydney to identify areas for improvement and ensure both drivers have the opportunity to compete at the front of the field. The Melbourne Grand Prix will provide a valuable opportunity to assess the team’s progress and refine their strategy for the remainder of the season.
What did you think of the Sydney 500? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
