De Pasquale's final lap nightmare as Team 18 fuel software fails
Team 18's fuel software miscalculation cost De Pasquale a Bathurst 1000 win.
Anton De Pasquale had Bathurst 1000 victory in sight until the final pit stop. Team 18 made a fuel-saving gamble, putting less petrol into his car than needed to finish.
The error came from a fault in the team's fuel strategy software, which underestimated how much fuel he required. De Pasquale slowed on the final lap and dropped behind Brodie Kostecki.
Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt confirmed no staff will be sacked over the mistake. Boss Adrian Burgess said the team were gutted, admitting they knew the error before the final lap.
Motorsport legends Greg Murphy and Garth Tander said Team 18 had a big enough lead to avoid the risk, and noted the team had made similar fuel mistakes in 2023.
- Anton De Pasquale
- Driver
- Bathurst 1000
- Race
- Brodie Kostecki
- Competitor
- Team 18 in 2023 with both cars
- Prior fuel error
Why it mattersA software bug cost a driver a major race win and raised questions about whether the error was an individual failing or a broader system problem the team should have caught.
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