Sports · Motorsport · 19 hrs ago
Grove Racing criticises Supercars brake supplier after early Bathurst stop
Grove Racing criticised its brake-pad supplier during the Bathurst 1000 in Australia.
The race is a 161-lap event, and several teams changed brakes during its opening half.
Grove’s Ford Mustang, driven by Kai Allen and Tim Slade, made an early fourth pit stop for a brake change.
Team boss Grove said the pads had not lasted as long as expected and that similar problems had affected several recent rounds.
Brake issues had also been reported at Queensland Raceway in August, prompting emergency measures before The Bend 500.
Grove said the supplier had let down both the team and the Supercars category.
The team also faced problems of its own: its other car received two penalties, including a drive-through for a pit-stop infringement.
At half-distance, Allen was 19th and teammate Matt Payne’s car, shared with Will Davison, was 10th.
Grove Racing criticised Supercars brake supplier Ferodo after its Kai Allen and Tim Slade car made an early stop to change its brakes at the Bathurst 1000.
Grove said the brake pads had not lasted long enough and that similar batch problems had occurred over the previous two or three rounds.
Several teams changed brakes during the opening half of the 161-lap race.
Grove’s Matt Payne and Will Davison entry also received two penalties in the first half of the race.
At half-distance, Davison was 10th and Allen was 19th.
- Who
- Grove Racing criticised brake supplier Ferodo.
- What
- Grove’s Kai Allen and Tim Slade car made an early stop for a brake change. Grove said the brake pads had not lasted long enough.
- When
- During the opening half of the Bathurst 1000 on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- The Bathurst 1000 at Bathurst. The circuit is not specified in the source.
- Why
- The brake pads were not lasting long enough, according to Grove.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
These good old brake batches that we get given can’t last more than 60 laps
It’s a joke that we’re at this level and the brakes can’t last a race.
We’ve been having batch issues for the last two or three rounds and obviously it hasn’t been fixed yet.
We take a lot of pride in the control of how we run our race team and for a supplier to let us down like that, and the whole category, it’s just not good enough.
Brake-pad issues occurred at Queensland Raceway and triggered emergency measures ahead of The Bend 500.
Poor performance from Ferodo-supplied brake pads became a talking point after cars hit the track.
During the Bathurst 1000, the Grove Racing car of Kai Allen and Tim Slade made an early stop for a brake change.
Davison was 10th and Allen was 19th, while Grove’s other entry had received two penalties.
- Brake supplier
- Ferodo
- Race distance
- 161 laps
- Grove entry with early brake change
- Kai Allen and Tim Slade
- Penalties for Payne and Davison entry
- Two: a five-second penalty and a drive-through penalty
- Grove cars at half-distance
- Davison 10th; Allen 19th
Sources
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