Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood have claimed a remarkable victory in the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000, capitalising on a final-lap fuel drama to snatch the win from Anton De Pasquale and Lee Holdsworth at Mount Panorama.

De Pasquale appeared destined to deliver Team 18 a breakthrough triumph after a strategic masterclass put the #18 DEWALT Chevrolet Camaro in control of the closing stages. However, the car would run out of fuel on the final lap, allowing Kostecki to sweep past and secure an extraordinary victory for the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Mustang.

The result capped a dramatic Great Race that featured an uninterrupted 156 laps, a costly brake change for Kostecki, and a late Safety Car intervention that set up a three-lap sprint to the chequered flag.

Kostecki and Hazelwood had looked in command during the opening half of the race, with Hazelwood producing a superb double stint to establish an advantage over the pole-sitting #10 Bendix Chevrolet Camaro of Zach Bates and Aaron Seton.

The Triple Eight Mustang of Will Brown and Scott Pye also featured at the front, leading after the opening pit stop cycle before slipping behind the leading pair.

Tyre degradation became a significant talking point as the race continued at a relentless pace, with several teams battling severe rear tyre blistering.

David Reynolds and James Courtney endured a particularly difficult afternoon, with contact involving Matt Payne followed by Reynolds being forced to pit after just 14 laps of his second stint due to tyre problems.

Penrite Racing also suffered a series of setbacks. Matt Payne and Will Davison received a drive-through penalty for a pit stop infringement, while Kai Allen was forced back into pit lane after his left-front brake duct came loose.

Tim Slade was subsequently recalled to the #26 Ford to complete his co-driver minimum laps, with a lengthy stop costing the team further time.

Some teams opted for an alternative fuel strategy, attempting to reach the finish with five pit stops rather than the expected six.

Among them were Cameron Hill and Brad Vaughan in the #14 Brad Jones Racing Toyota, and Craig Lowndes and Bayley Hall in the #15 Team 18 wildcard Chevrolet.

The race’s defining moment initially appeared to arrive on lap 125, when Kostecki brought the #17 Ford into the pits for a brake change. While the front-left change was completed routinely, a problem with the right-front brakes resulted in a lengthy delay.

Bates, De Pasquale, Brown and Jack Le Brocq all swept past, leaving Kostecki facing an uphill battle to recover the lost ground.

De Pasquale soon emerged as the leading threat, closing rapidly on Bates as the race entered its final 30 laps.

With Team 18 holding a favourable fuel position, the #18 Chevrolet was able to pressure the leading Matt Stone Racing entry before making its final stop on lap 139.

Bates responded the following lap, but Team 18’s strategic advantage became clear as De Pasquale emerged with a 15.5-second lead and 21 laps remaining.

Behind them, Brown and Le Brocq continued to push, while Kostecki began an impressive recovery.

After making his final stop on lap 150, Kostecki set consecutive Gen3 lap records on laps 152 and 153, closing rapidly on Brown in the fight for the final podium position.

The battle intensified as Kostecki attacked Brown, with the Triple Eight driver receiving a bad sportsmanship flag for moving under brakes. Kostecki eventually made a decisive pass at Murray’s Corner.

Moments later, the Safety Car was deployed for the first time all day after Chaz Mostert crashed at Forrest’s Elbow following contact with the inside wall. The intervention set up a three-lap dash to the finish.

De Pasquale, who had been instructed to save fuel in the closing stages, began to slow on Mountain Straight on the final lap as the #18 Chevrolet ran dry.

Kostecki seized the opportunity, sweeping past to claim an extraordinary Bathurst 1000 victory alongside Hazelwood after their earlier advantage had appeared to disappear.

The win for Kostecki was his second Bathurst 1000 nod, both with Hazelwood as his co-driver (2024 and 2026).

The 2026 event attracted 204,223 fans, a three per cent increase on the 198,203 who attended in 2025 and the largest Bathurst 1000 crowd since 2018.

Record camping numbers saw more than 7,100 campsites utilised, with over 20,000 people staying across Mount Panorama’s famous campgrounds.

The event also marked 20 years since the passing of nine-time Bathurst winner Peter Brock.

The Repco Supercars Championship heads to the Gold Coast next for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, with the Finals Series to commence on the streets of Surfers Paradise from 23-25 October.