Supercars confirms staff cap and pre-season testing plan

The category introduced limits on on-site staff for events as part of its COVID-safe plan when the season resumed mid-pandemic in June.

Initially there was just 13 people including drivers allowed per two cars, which was later relaxed to include more non-performance personnel.

The restrictions are set to be continued into this season, with an eye on cost-saving as much as health advice.

For the non-refuelling races - Sandown, Symmons Plains, The Bend, Winton, Darwin, Sydney Motorsport Park, Perth and Auckland - teams will only be allowed to bring 11 performance personnel, excluding drivers.

For those events the limits on people over the line during stops (six) and rattle guns (two) will also continue.

For the refuelling races - Bathurst x2, Townsville and the Gold Coast - an additional performance person will be allowed, bringing the total to 12 per two cars.

As for non-performance personnel, the limit will start at two people for all events - but will be relaxed once crowd numbers grow and more commercial activations and merchandise outlets are allowed.

"All the teams, and us at Supercars, are cognisant of the fact that we don't want to undo all the positive work that we were forced into last year with COVID," Supercars' Head of Motorsport Adrian Burgess told Autosport.

"A lot of the cost-savings, and the way we've changed our events from three days back to two days, that's been a financially positive thing for the teams. We want to keep that, and crew numbers is part of that.

"We'll open up that [non-performance] number when we've got merchandise available, we've got crowds in the paddock, we've got pit tours and sponsor activations and all of those things back in full swing. We'll allow the teams more people to deal with that. But the worst-case scenario, where we're operating with minimum numbers everywhere, it will be two non-performance personnel.

"If you work on the basis that each staff member you bring to the circuit costs you roughly $25,000 per year, plus their salary, it quickly adds up. The teams didn't want to lose sight of some of the positive things we adopted last year."

Eight of the 11 teams will run two cars this season, while Brad Jones Racing will run an even four.

The only outliers are Tickford Racing and the Blanchard Racing Team, which will run three and one cars respectively.

They are, however, expected to share a second pit boom, which means they will share the allowed two-car personnel across a car each.

Supercars has abandoned plans for an all-in pre-season test at Sydney Motorsport Park due to COVID-19 restrictions.

A recent outbreak in New South Wales has left the state's capital largely cut off from the rest of Australia through border closures and quarantine requirements.

That's forced Supercars into a late change of plans regarding its official pre-season test, which was meant to take place at SMP on 14 February.

Testing will now be split between Queensland Raceway and Winton, depending on where teams are based.

Those in Queensland will run at QR on 12 February, before Winton hosts the Melbourne teams, and Albury-based Brad Jones Racing, on 16 February.

Team Sydney, which is based at SMP, could still test at its home track.

The tests will provide a first and only outing for teams ahead of the 2021 season opener at Mount Panorama on 26-28 February.