Asian Motor Sports

V8 SUPERCAR legend and lifelong motorsport fan John Bowe has described the program for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend as the worst ever.

Bowe, who raced in the Grand Prix in the 1980s at Calder Park and has won both the Bathurst 1000 and Australian Touring Car Championship, said yesterday that he was appalled by the quality of the support events at Albert Park this weekend.

“I have been to every Australian Grand Prix since 1986 and this is the worst supporting program I have ever seen,” Bowe said.

“Looking at the program, I am quite disappointed.”

Bowe, who is racing his final season in V8 Supercars this year under the banner “John’s last Bowe”, said his opinion was not coloured by the absence of the touring cars from this year’s event.

He had hoped to compete at Albert Park in a V8 Supercar before ending his career, but was more worried about the spectators’ reaction to an undercard without the biggest motorsport category in Australia.

“It’s a real, real shame for the racing followers,” he said.

“It’s the centre of the car industry and a great opportunity for the competition’s backers to be involved.”

Mark Skaife and James Courtney, another two of the V8 Supercar frontrunners in Melbourne for lead-up events before the GP, also said they were disappointed not to be racing at Albert Park.

“As a driver, I am disappointed,” Skaife said.

“It’s an event we’ve enjoyed over the years. It would be good for us to be involved.”

Courtney said: “I like driving on street circuits, so I would like to do it.”

However he spoke for many V8 Supercar insiders when he said the series did not need to be at Albert Park.

“Our championship is big enough to stand alone. We don’t need an event like the GP to prop it up,” Courtney said.

“I think they will probably miss us.”