Supercars
As two racing series approach finish lines, we compare F1 to the V8s!
With fingers in many racing pies, we felt compelled to, you know, race a couple of 'em. And here in Australia it’s hard to go past the two we support so passionately - F1 and V8s. So, who takes pole?
Yeah, yeah, we know it’s a bit of a silly question, and both disciplines are about as far apart as BMX and Supercross, but that’s not going to stop us highlighting what you’re seeing slowly appear in your rearview mirror as two significant race seasons gear towards their respective finish lines. One powered by sophisticated aerodynamics, space-travel-esque technology and cheese-board carrying fans. And the other by the driver combo of skill and endurance steering pure muscle and grunt, and passionately supported by adorable bogan or bogan adjacent fans (meant in the most loving way possible).
So this feature, then, is a bit of tongue-in-cheek, both in humour and observation, because if there is one thing we know about both sports, and all other racing types around them, it’s that it can all get a bit serious, meaning we’re here to pump the brakes, leave some donut-shaped marks on the bitumen and have a little fun.
So… let’s start those completely incomparable engines!
A common sight...
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The Logistics of Competing
For the well-informed, there’s no secret the F1 is winding down, and as always, it’s been a helluva season. Max continues his winning ways while an Aussie in a rival car we kind of can’t ignore due to contractual “we’re Australian” obligations, Oscar Piastri, is turning heads and making us wish he were in an Oracle RB20. (Oops, maybe we’ve said too much already.)
"The season isn’t over, of course, with a handful of races left on the calendar..."
Anyhoo, as we write this silly feature out, Max has a clear lead with some seven wins and 12 podiums on the board, reasonably clear of the next best in Lando and the McLaren team. The season isn’t over, of course, with a handful of races left on the calendar, all finishing up in Abu Dhabi in December, so we’ll see how it all pans out.
Getting some air
© Mark Horsburgh / Red Bull Content Pool
In the Supercars, which got underway with the Bathurst 500 in February, our very own Will and Broc sit atop standings after a gruelling season, with both being part of the next generation of Supercars drivers rapidly turning heads. But, equally for them, it’s not a whitewash of a season, which is making for some great viewing while building new rivalries and new emotions as the sport works towards more so-called ‘parity’. Put simply…it’s all feeding more drama.
"Darwin and Townsville round out the remaining ‘longer distances’, meaning it’s more of a team endurance thing..."
What separates the two here over the course of a season is a bit apples and oranges, really. The farthest the V8 teams need to go, using Sydney as a base, is Perth which is some 3290 kms away. That’s actually farther than to New Zealand where the series went this year, which is more than 2220 kms away, though logistically a bit more involved. Darwin and Townsville round out the remaining ‘longer distances’, meaning it’s more of a team endurance thing, but rarely a timezone thing.
Meanwhile the F1 series takes drivers all over the world with far more expensive cars and larger teams. From Australia to Spain to the US to the Middle East, there’s no point making the comparison, the F1 cats do it a bit harder from a logistics sense.
Max takes an early lead
© Getty IMages / Red Bull Content Pool
Endurance vs Endurance
When it comes to actual racing, both disciplines also cover a similar amount of track, with each race series clocking up between 200 and 310 kms for the touring cars, and a flat 305 kms minimum for the F1 cars. How they differ, though, is based on the tracks themselves and most F1 races are set upon flat courses with little-to-no gradient, at least not to the level of some Supercars tracks, Mount Panorama being chief among them. In this way, and with some of the craziest turns, ascents and descents, tight chicanes and more, from converted street courses to traditional race tracks, the level of skill required in the V8 Supercars format could be considered higher, in particular because the cars are designed around the earlier-mentioned parity, meaning there’s almost no team advantage from a tech and build perspective.
"For a 24 race season, the V8 drivers just need that little extra to endure the road(s) ahead..."
While it’s definitely true the speeds at which the Formula One cars corner and straight are ridiculous, it’s the technology and research and development behind them that can often mean the difference between a podium finish or finding yourself further back in the pack. The skill level across both is very high, but we’d probably argue, over the course of a race, and for a 24 race season, the V8 drivers just need that little extra to endure the road(s) ahead.
Breathtaking Bathurst
© Mark Horsburgh / Red Bull Content Pool
The Bling-Bling Factor
As alluded to throughout so far, the F1 format is loaded with cash. Major high-end manufacturers on a global level throw everything they can at their cars and teams and the research and development that goes into them. Pitcrews could work on SpaceX launches and landings; they're that good and well-oiled, while all of the technology behind all the moving parts of a team, livery and even in training its drivers is off the charts. It’s really the sport of an elite class that can be difficult to break into. And once there, even harder to be consistently good at, let alone forever competitive as the field and skill level and technology is always changing, from small tweaks to wholesale design pivots. The teams that constantly challenge any apparent status quo, even if it’s just for a season, are usually the teams that move onward and upward more quickly.
"In 2026 Toyota will join the fold with the GR Supra which is expected to elevate the local sport even more..."
The V8 Supercars on the other hand, could be considered a more blue-collar iteration of racing, though our domestic version is lauded globally for the skill level of our drivers, as we’ve already spoken about. The governing body has also evolved over time and the current model operates as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which means International Rules apply, which also helps our teams and drivers be recognised on the global stage. There are also less manufacturers involved in the V8 Supercars, with just two in the current season in Ford and its Mustang Chevrolet and its Camaro. In 2026 Toyota will join the fold with the GR Supra which is expected to elevate the local sport even more from an international perspective.
Given the huge difference in investment in each, the F1s pretty much lap the V8s here… who says money can’t buy you love?
Which costs more?
© Chris Tedesco / Red Bull Content Pool
The Fan Factor
Arguably the most fun element of both sports is its fans. And while we did make some silly class jokes in the opening salvo, the reality is gear heads from all walks of life just love racing, the drama and pageantry behind it, their favourite drivers and teams and, of course, the speed. There’s no real winner here, which might read a cop out, but we do want to be alive tomorrow to write another story, so let’s just declare both disciplines a tie on this one because, hey, we love both as well!
You can keep up to speed on all the latest from each series’ respective Red Bull teams right here on RedBull.com or across our socials.