With day one of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2020 now complete, the four support categories enjoyed ample track time today.

 

Check out the rundown from a fun first day of Australia’s biggest motorsport event for the year.

 

The Red Bull Holden Racing Team has flexed its muscles on day one of the Australian Grand Prix, as both their drivers secured pole for the opening two races of the weekend.

 

Shane van Gisbergen got off to a great start with pole in the first qualifying session ahead of teammate Jamie Whincup, before Whincup himself claimed pole for the second qualifying session.

 

Starting the weekend’s second race on the front row beside Whincup will be Cameron Waters, after the Ford Mustang pilot pipped Will Davison by less than one hundredth of a second in the session.

 

Davison ended the afternoon with the third fastest qualifying time in both sessions, while reigning champion Scott McLaughlin also enjoyed two top five times.

 

Supercars will have the remaining two qualifying sessions tomorrow, followed by the first race in the afternoon, where van Gisbergen will start from the front of the grid. 

 

James Golding will start the first qualifying race of the inaugural VHT Australian S5000 Championship season from pole after edging out Thomas Randle in today’s qualifying session.

 

Golding and Randle had led the field in the practice session earlier in the day and the duo were at it again during qualifying, but it was Golding who was just one tenth faster than Randle.

 

Rounding out the top three was Ricky Capo, who finished just four hundredths of a second faster than 2019 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner Alexandre Premat.

 

Former Formula 1 stars Giancarlo Fisichella and Rubens Barrichello had a tough return to their old stomping ground, with Fisichella finishing eighth and Barrichello only putting one lap after suffering issues.

 

The Championship continues its first round tomorrow with the first qualifying race to precede Formula 1’s first practice session of the year.

 

The category’s latest entrant has proved too strong in its qualifying session, as Garth Tander turned back the clock to take out pole for tomorrow’s opening race of the round.

 

Former Supercars driver Michael Caruso also enjoyed his debut in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, nabbing second in qualifying ahead of Nathan Morcom and reigning series winner Will Brown.

Both Morcom and Brown looked to have sealed the front two positions, only for the both Tander and Caruso to edge them out on their second last laps. 

Rounding out the top five was Dylan O'Keefe and Aaron Cameron with the former slotting into fourth on his last lap of the session.

The series will have just the one activity tomorrow with their first of three races to take place in the morning.

 

The final piece of business for the day saw the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup hold their first endurance race at Albert Park as Cameron Hill took out the historic race.

Starting from second place, it didn’t take long for Hill to surpass pole setter Dale Wood for top spot and once in the lead, he never let up as Nick McBride and series leader Cooper Murrary piled the pressure on him.

With McBride and Murray leading the chasing pack for the rest of the race, the top three remained unchanged as David Wall and Aaron Love rounded out the top five.

It was a tough day at the office for Wood, who ended the race in eighth place, while Australian Motorsport Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes had a first-race performance to forget for the series, retiring after 13 laps.

The series has now just one race on each day, with Friday’s 25-minute race to take place tomorrow afternoon.