The2021 Supercars Championship (commercially known as the2021 Repco Supercars Championship) was a motor racing series forSupercars. It was the twenty-third running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-fifth series in which Supercars have contested theAustralian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. Atlanta-based international auto parts conglomerateGenuine Parts Company, through the consumer auto parts brandRepco, replacedVirgin Australia as naming rights sponsor under a five-year partnership, which was later expanded to eight years at the end of the 2022 prizegiving banquet.
In February 2020,Holden's parent companyGeneral Motors announced it would retire the Holden name by the end of 2020.[47] TheCommodore ZB continues to be raced in 2021, albeit with no factory support.[48]
Team Penske sold its majority shareholding in DJR Team Penske at the end of 2020, the team reverting its name toDick Johnson Racing, which was last used in 2014.[49]
Dick Johnson Racing fielded an all new line-up for 2021.Scott McLaughlin did not defend his title, leaving the series to race in theIndyCar Series withTeam Penske.[49] This was the first time the champion has not returned to defend his championship sinceCraig Lowndes did not defend his1996 title. It was originally planned that he would return to drive with the team as an endurance co-driver, however this did not eventuate due to ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions.[53][54]Fabian Coulthard moved toTeam Sydney.Anton de Pasquale, who moved fromErebus Motorsport,[55] andWill Davison drove for the team. For Davison, he returned to the team he last raced for full time from2006 until2008.
On 4 November, Kelly Grove Racing driverDavid Reynolds was ruled out of the remaining Sydney Motorsport Park rounds for failing to comply with New South Wales Health Orders regarding mandatoryCOVID-19 vaccination. He was replaced byLuke Youlden, who made his solo debut in the series.[13] Reynolds was originally scheduled to return to the team for the Bathurst 1000,[58] however on 18 November, it was announced that he would return for round 11 at Sydney Motorsport Park.[59]
The season commenced with a sprint round, theMount Panorama 500, atMount Panorama after theBathurst 12 Hour was cancelled due to the ongoing travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.[67] The season was intended to end at the Gold Coast,[68] changing from two 300 km endurance races to two single driver 250 km sprint races to become the Gold Coast 500. However, the Gold Coast round was subsequently cancelled.
Sandown was dropped from the original calendar, however was reinstated after theMelbourne 400 supporting theAustralian Grand Prix was postponed and later cancelled.[68] In doing so, Sandown hosted its firstsprint round since 2011.
A pre-season test day was planned for all teams at Sydney Motorsport Park. With COVID-19 border closures, this was amended with all Queensland based teams and Team Sydney usingQueensland Raceway, while the Victorian teams and Brad Jones Racing usedWinton.[69]
With challenges from COVID-19, the calendar was revised, with the series set to resume at theWinton SuperSprint, with theSydney SuperNight being rescheduled to the 19–21 November due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, it was due to be held on 21–22 August.[73] Phillip Island was due to return to the calendar for the first time since 2019.[74] Subsequently the Perth and Auckland events were cancelled.[75]
The calendar was revised once again, as theCOVID-19 Delta outbreaks inNew South Wales andVictoria caused the Phillip Island, Winton and Gold Coast events to be cancelled.[76][77][78] The series resumed at Sydney Motorsport Park, with a quadruple-header utilising various formats and a mix of day and night racing, and ended at the Bathurst 1000.[79][80]
The championship awarded five bonus championship points to the driver who sets thefastest lap. These points will only be awarded in the sprint races.[81]
A third tyre type, the Super Soft, was used at the Darwin and the fourth Sydney Motorsport Park events.[82]
Repco, who were already the Supercars’ official automotive parts retailer, succeededVirgin Australia as the title sponsor of the series until 2025.[83]
A new five-year broadcast deal commenced in 2021.Fox Sports are continuing to show all rounds while theSeven Network took over fromNetwork Ten as the free to air broadcaster, showing six rounds live, including the Bathurst 1000.[84][85]
Points were awarded for each race at an event, to the driver or drivers of a car that completed at least 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the race. At least 50% of the planned race distance must be completed for the result to be valid and championship points awarded.
Points format
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
FL
Bathurst
300
276
258
240
222
204
192
180
168
156
144
138
132
126
120
114
108
102
96
90
84
78
72
66
60
2*250 km
150
138
129
120
111
102
96
90
84
78
72
69
66
63
60
57
54
51
48
45
42
39
36
33
SuperSprint
100
92
86
80
74
68
64
60
56
52
48
46
44
42
40
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
5
Bathurst: Used for the Bathurst 1000.
2*250 km: Used for the Mount Panorama 500, Townsville 500 and Sydney SuperNight 3.
SuperSprint: Used for all SuperSprint races, the Darwin Triple Crown and Sydney SuperNight 1 and 2.
^Race 30 was suspended due to torrential rain and could not be re-started. As less than 50% of the race distance had been completed when the race was abandoned, no points were awarded.
Mount Panorama Circuit
Sandown Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway
The Bend Motorsport Park
Hidden Valley Raceway
Reid Park Street Circuit
