Team 18’s Fuel Error Cost De Pasquale and Holdsworth Bathurst Win
Mark Skaife criticized Team 18 after a fuel strategy software issue left Anton De Pasquale and Lee Holdsworth unable to finish the Bathurst 1000 as leaders. De…
Team 18’s fuel strategy failure turned a lead into heartbreak at the Bathurst 1000, and Mark Skaife said the mistake was “unforgivable.” Anton De Pasquale and co-driver Lee Holdsworth were leading on the final lap when their car ran short of fuel, allowing Brodie Kostecki to take the victory.
The team said a fuel strategy software issue caused the shortage. Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt said no one would be removed from their position over the error, while Skaife argued that the final fuel calculation needed more than software checks.
De Pasquale led the field around Hell Corner on lap 161 of Sunday’s Repco Bathurst 1000. His #18 DEWALT Camaro then coughed on Mountain Straight and slowed before The Chase, ending the pair’s chance to win.
The result came after a strong run. The car spent 153 of the first 160 laps in the top five and never fell below seventh during the pit cycles, according to Supercars.com.
Skaife, a six-time Great Race winner who called the event for SEN radio, said the outcome was especially painful for the drivers. “It's horrible, but it's unforgivable. It's Australia's biggest car race,” he said on MotorRacing 360.
He said teams must ensure a car has enough fuel to sprint to the finish. A Safety Car had nearly helped Team 18, Skaife said, because without it the drivers would have needed to stop earlier while running at full race pace.
“Everyone with every bit of brainpower in that organisation needed to be part of the last stop to work out, not just with software and stuff, but the actual calculation,” Skaife said.
Mark Skaife on the Bathurst 1000 fuel failure
Team 18 revealed on Tuesday that a fuel strategy software issue had caused the problem. Supercars data analyst Scott Sinclair said the last two stops did the damage, according to the series’ report.
Skaife also stressed that his criticism was not directed at any individual. “This is not personal in any way — there's no way that anyone in that place would ever miscalculate, or do anything like that,” he said.
He said he felt for De Pasquale and Holdsworth, who had driven well throughout the race. Holdsworth, the 2021 winner, had finished second in 2025, making this another near-miss.
Schwerkolt defended the team’s response. “This was a team responsibility. No single individual is to blame, and no one is being relieved of their position,” the owner said on Tuesday.
De Pasquale told Channel 7 he was devastated after realizing the car might not have enough fuel to finish. “Once I knew how much fuel short we were, I knew we were cooked.” He will fight for the title when the 2026 Finals Series begins on the Gold Coast next weekend.
Source: supercars.com
