The Bathurst 1000 kicks off this weekend. Photo / Getty Images
Eric Thompson at Bathurst
Driver preparation for the Great Race at Mount Panorama has begun in earnest and New Zealand has five main drivers and one co-driver in the field this year. The Herald spoke to all six as they prepared for the 2025 edition of the Bathurst 1000 with five specific questions for them to ponder on.
How does winning a Bathurst 1000 title compare to winning a championship race, or even a series title?
Matthew Payne, Penrite Racing, 2nd (1972 points): Some people would say it’s equal because one race can make up for a year, but I’d probably like to win the championship more.
Ryan Wood, Mobil Truck Assist Racing, 8th (1274 points): For me, Bathurst is number one. You always know who the Bathurst winner was. It’s special because I’m mentored by Greg Murphy and obviously, he has so much history here.
Andre Heimgartner, R&J Batteries Racing, 11th (1117 points): I think if you won a championship, but never won Bathurst, it’d always be on your mind. I guess it’s the same way the other way around, so they’re both equally important.
Richie Stanaway, PremiAir Racing, 20th (760 points): It was great to have had the win as a co-driver, but right now getting a podium or a win as a main driver is the next step for me.
Jaxon Evans, SCT Motorsport, 23rd (653 points): A Bathurst 1000 win would feature pretty high on my list. Maybe not quite as big as a championship win, but to be a Bathurst champion at some point in my career is definitely a goal.
Fabian Coulthard, Walkinshaw Andretti United, (co-driver with Chaz Mostert): I’ve got good memories from around here. I’ve been fortunate enough to stand on the podium a couple of times with a second and third place. I’d love the box set this year and get the winner’s trophy.
Why does this race bring the best out of the drivers?
Matthew Payne: It’s probably the layout and the fact that to go fast requires a lot of balls. Some people are probably willing to put it on the line more than others, but in saying that, you do have to have a good car as well.
Ryan Wood: I think it’s just the atmosphere. It’s our biggest race of the year and it’s the one that everyone wants to win. No matter what they say, Bathurst is where you put all your eggs in the basket, and you have a crack.
Andre Heimgartner: The history of it and the fact there’s so many fans and stuff, It’s wild. There’s just something about it and the track is very challenging, too.
Richie Stanaway: Everybody sort of elevates up when you’re flying around here. I think it’s one of the hardest races in the world, so you just rise to the challenge.
Jaxon Evans: There’s a lot of history here, but it’s also the circuit. It’s high risk, high reward, so unless you put everything on the table, you don’t know what potential is there.
Fabian Coulthard: We get so much practice here unlike a normal sprint round, so it gives everybody a lot of time to be able to get on top of their package and try and max out the best they can.
How much does having a co-driver influence how the car is set up?
Matthew Payne: It really depends on what level your co-driver is at. Someone who’s a rookie just coming in will probably only drive what you’re giving them.
Ryan Wood: It’s something that’s super important. Jad [Jayden Ojeda] and me get along really well and he’s super-fast. He’s won the Bathurst Six Hour twice and I’m looking forward to teaming up with him.
Andre Heimgartner: Generally, you try and have both drivers the same, because you can’t really change the car much.
Richie Stanaway: It’s always focused on the main driver.
Jaxon Evans: I know what I want, and know what I need for the car to be fast. So, it’s getting him [co-driver] to adapt to that.
Fabian Coulthard: We like the same thing in the car and our feedback’s been the same. We want the same thing from the car, and I think that’s why it worked so well in 2022 [second].
Do you worry much watching the co-driver in the car?
Matthew Payne: It’s more the rookies you might feel a bit of concern about. With Garth [Tander, his co-driver] he’s had so much experience here, you don’t have to worry.
Ryan Wood: Yeah, you’re nervous, but you don’t pick the guy for no reason, so you’ve got a lot of faith in them. We’re out here to win, so if he’s having a crack, I’m right behind it.
Andre Heimgartner: You just have to relax; however, I’d much rather be driving than watching.
Richie Stanaway: You get a little bit nervous depending on who the co-driver is. There are two styles of co-driver; the older guy that’s raced fulltime a lot and he’s no longer in audition mode and a bit more reliable, whereas when you get a young guy, he’s more in audition mode, because they want to race fulltime.
Jaxon Evans: I’ve done so much endurance racing in my career that I’m almost good at not watching, and whatever happens, happens out there. I have no control over it, so I don’t want to raise my stress levels.
Fabian Coulthard: I am the co-driver. I keep an eye on what Chaz is doing but don’t worry.
Who’s your biggest threat for the race win?
Matthew Payne: It’s probably myself. We just need to work on what we’re doing. And make sure we get everything right and just go through our processes. If I was going to say someone, it would probably be Broc [Feeney]; he’s been very close to winning this race the last two years.
Ryan Wood: The guy and the other side of the garage [Chaz Mostert]. He’s a two-time Bathurst winner.
Andre Heimgartner: Brody [Kostecki] will be pretty fast here. They seem to always get that car in a good window and then you have [Cam] Waters, who is always pretty speedy, and the Red Bull cars.
Richie Stanaway: It’s probably just ourselves. It’s our ability to tune the car throughout practice. It’s really all up to us.
Jaxon Evans: The Red Bulls will be strong as will Brodie Kostecki. The guys from the Ford camp are also going pretty well.
Fabian Coulthard: The other side of the garage [Ryan Wood], the Red Bulls and last year’s winner [Kostecki].