Motorsport: McLaughlin seeks Plains sailing and backs qualifying format

Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin supports qualifying change. Photo / Photosport

Kiwi Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin is a fan of the new qualifying format that will be used at this weekend's round in Tasmania despite it being a bit confusing.

Supercars will use a Formula 1-style format that sees cars progress through three stages of qualifying due to the short length of the track and the risks of having 26 cars trying to post flying laps while avoiding cars on or in laps.

Combined practice times will see the top 10 fastest drivers go straight to Q2 while the drivers that finished 11th to 26th hit the track for 10 minutes in Q1. From that group of 16, the fastest six progress to Q2, while the others fill positions 17 to 26. The top 10 in Q2 progress while the six slowest set their grid positions 11-16. The top 10 have one more crack in Q3 to set their positions on the grid.

"It is very similar to Formula 1," McLaughlin told Radio Sport. "It gets quite dangerous at a short track like this to find space amongst 28 odd cars.

"I think they have gone the right way about it - it is going to be a bit confusing but once everyone gets used to it I think it is the right way."

McLaughlin's Shell V-Power Racing Ford outfit was the team to beat last year - the 24-year-old stormed to a record 16 pole position starts and missed winning the championship by a whisker at the final round in Newcastle.

But a disappointing opening round in Adelaide and a couple of costly errors in Melbourne a fortnight ago see him head to Symmons Plains third in the standings and trailing compatriot Shane van Gisbergen by 61 points.

McLaughlin isn't too worried about whether his Ford is fast enough this year but is more concerned with his own driving form.

"I think there is a bit to go yet but I am leaving that to the technical department. The team [is] going the right way about it.

"We are just trying to knuckle down. Obviously me and Fabs [teammate Fabian Coulthard] know there is a bit to come from us.

We need to do a bit better job. There were a couple of mistakes that I made at the Grand Prix that I wasn't too happy with myself for and I am trying to rectify that.

"We qualified first, first and second in the first three races and in the last qualifying I made a blue and qualified ninth when I could have been on the front row.

"At the start of the third race I was leading by a decent run and I made an absolute balls-up and went straight off at turn one.

"The team gave me a great car and I made a couple of mistakes - I really had to look at myself had and work on them and I have made a big focus on that for Tasmania this weekend."

McLaughlin is confident he can get his championship on track at the short but demanding Tasmanian track.

"[It's] very tight and twisty when you get out there," he explained. "It always throws up challenges - weird things happen here.

"I think you need good engine power, which we believe we have, and hopefully we can get it done."