Five international drivers will take part in this year’s Bathurst 1000, two of which are racing at Mount Panorama for the first time, which gets underway with the first free practice session today.
Although the number of international competitors is never as it once was for the V8 Supercars Championship’s jewel in the crown event, five non-Australasians taking part in this weekend’s Bathurst 1000 is above batting average, although there were six present in 2013 helped in part by Triple Eight’s wild card entry of Mattias Ekström and Andy Priaulx.
European touring car drivers are appearing less and less, no thanks in part to the scheduled clash between the British Touring Car Championship finale at Brands Hatch with Australia’s great race this weekend, but also the technical and race format divide between Europe and Australia tends to favour the appearance of the rear-wheel drive sports car specialists in recent years.
Three drivers return after having competed last year. Two of which are British drivers, Alex Buncombe and Oliver Gavin. Buncombe, a Nissan GTR regular in the Blancpain Series, will again team up with Todd Kelly in the #7 Altima this weekend, while Gavin will again share a Holden Commodore with Nick Percat, this time at Percat’s new team for 2015, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.
The other returning driver is Alexandre Prémat, back for his fourth consecutive Bathurst. After racing full-time in 2012-2013 with Garry Rogers Motorsport, the Frenchman paired up with Scott McLaughin in the Volvo S60 last year and was in the running for the victory. Prémat returns to the same car and team-mate, sharing the #33 with McLaughlin again.
“This is my fourth time here and I just look forward to drive the beast on the rock,” said Prémat. “We have a good car and a good package. We have unfinished business here from last year when we were pretty fast. So we are definitely aiming for at least a podium and victory would of course be the best.”
Another French driver will also be having a crack at the mountain, a sports car expert but mainly known as an IndyCar regular, and four-time champion no less, Sébastien Bourdais, pairing up with Lee Holdsworth in the #18 Charlie Schwerkolt Racing Holden Commodore.Bourdais has driven in four previous V8 Supercars Championship meetings. The Gold Coast 600 from 2010-2012, and was at the first of this year’s enduro events, the Sandown 500 with Holdsworth last month.
“For every team and driver in the series, Bathurst is the holy grail of the season,” said Bourdais. “But for me, the goal will be the same; enjoy myself behind the wheel at one of the world’s best track, and have a flawless weekend to give Lee and Team 18 the best chance at winning the race.
“Having never been there it is a bit tough to know what you need to do well, but I have watched a lot of inboard videos and quite a few races over the years. I think that a consistent and mistake free weekend is almost a guarantee to finish in the top 5, so I will start with that in mind and see where it takes us. Like every quick and unforgiving racetrack, you need to give yourself time to make sure you don’t rush things and make a costly mistake.”
The fifth international driver is also part of another special entry at this year’s Bathurst 1000. Another IndyCar regular, the Swiss Simona de Silverstro, will join Australian Renee Gracie in an all-female pairing in a fourth Ford Falcon FG X prepared by championship leaders Prodrive Racing Australia, utilising one of the championship’s wild card entries for the event.