Team 18 is set to take on the 2025 Melbourne SuperSprint, Round 2 of the Repco Supercars Championship, at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix this weekend, with Anton De Pasquale and David Reynolds fired up for the challenge at their home event in front of what is set to be a record crowd in Melbourne.

Supercars will battle it out on the fast-flowing Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, a street track known for its high-speed corners, heavy braking zones, and evolving grip levels. The event is a home round for Team 18, with Team Owner Charlie Schwerkolt’s Waverley Forklifts playing a key role in the setup of the Formula 1 precinct in partnership with Linfox.

TRADIE Energy Racing’s David Reynolds is eager to race at one of his favourite tracks, embracing the high-speed challenge of Albert Park. He anticipates chaotic, action-packed racing, especially with four qualifying sessions set to shake up the grid.

His focus will be on maximising Team 18’s understanding of the new tyre and setup to ensure a consistent and competitive weekend.

DEWALT Racing’s Anton De Pasquale is excited for his home event and expects a strong challenge at Albert Park.

With shorter races, he knows qualifying will be key, and while the new tyre adds an element of unpredictability, he’s confident that Team 18’s race pace from Sydney can translate into strong results.

The 2025 format will see drivers contest four intense races, with three 105km sprints from Thursday to Saturday, followed by a final 80km race on Sunday in the build-up to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Supercars hit the track on Thursday with two 30-minute practice sessions before qualifying for Races 4 and 5. The first race of the weekend follows at 5:50pm Thursday, with Race 5 on Friday at 2:50pm. Saturday kicks off with Qualifying for Races 6 and 7, before Race 6 at 5:40pm, just after F1 Qualifying. The final Supercars race, Race 7, takes place on Sunday at 10:25am ahead of the Grand Prix at 3:00pm.

Team 18 is ready to take on Albert Park as the 2025 Supercars season heats up at the Melbourne SuperSprint. Fans can catch all the action live on Fox Sports and Kayo, with Channel 10 broadcasting free-to-air coverage from Friday.

QUOTES

Anton De Pasquale – #18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“The Australian Grand Prix is a really cool event with a massive crowd, and it’s great to be part of the atmosphere. It’s also a home race for the team and myself, which makes it even more exciting.”

“We had good race pace in Sydney, but the Grand Prix races are shorter, so Qualifying will be crucial, but we’ve seen over the years there’s a lot of movement that happens in the races, they’re short but really entertaining.

“The track is still quite difficulty because it’s so fast, Albert Park is one of the fastest tracks we go to. It’ll be interesting on the different tyre how things will play out.

“There are still a few unknowns, especially with the new tyre, but if we can carry our race form from Sydney and qualify well, we’ll be in a strong position.”

David Reynolds – #20 TRADIE Energy Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“The Australian Grand Prix is one of my favourite events of the year. Albert Park is an incredible circuit, and being part of the Formula 1 weekend is always so fun.”

“The races are really short but always make for entertaining races. There always seems to be a bit of chaos in these races for some reason. The layout of the circuit encourages it, the concertinas and the fast and slow corners, it always ends up being exciting.

“With four qualifying sessions, the field tends to get shuffled around, especially from fifth to 20th, so consistency will be key. Everyone’s on the edge of out of control around there, the top five guys tend to be the same but it gets pretty mixed up behind that.

“This year we’ve got the new tyre, which is going to be a bit different, but the heavy focus for us is going to be on qualifying. We really need to understand our new tyre, our pressures and our base setup around Albert Park and have a nice, consistent weekend.”

SCHEDULE (All Times AEDT)

2025 Melbourne SuperSprint (Australian Grand Prix)

Thursday, March 13

11:05am – Practice 1 (30 min)

1:25pm – Practice 2 (30 min)

3:25pm – Qualifying Race 4 (15 min)

3:50pm – Qualifying Race 5 (15 min)

5:50pm – Race 4 (19 laps / 105km)

Friday, March 14

2:50pm – Race 5 (19 laps / 105km)

Saturday, March 15

9:05am – Qualifying Race 6 (10 min)

9:25am – Qualifying Race 7 (10 min)

5:40pm – Race 6 (19 laps / 105km)

Sunday, March 16

10:25am – Race 7 (14 laps / 80km)