Supercars fans are singing the praises of Mark Larkham after the beloved analyst produced an absolute masterclass during the Bathurst 1000. And he was the first person to call Team 18’s fuel shortage well before it eventuated.
Anton de Pasquale ran out of fuel on the final lap and blew the victory as Brodie Kostecki swooped in. Team 18 has since revealed that a software issue was the reason for de Pasquale’s car being under-fuelled after it resulted in a miscalculation.
Larkham was on top of the issue about 15 laps before everyone else. The former driver picked up that de Pasquale’s lap times showed that he was trying to conserve fuel as much as possible.
The 62-year-old would have been watching how long the car had been fuelled in the pits and done his own calculations. Larkham questioned team principal Adrian Burgess in the garage about the fuel issue, but Burgess insisted they had enough to get de Pasquale over the line.
Larkham was insistent that de Pasquale was in trouble, and he was proven exactly right as it played out in real time. Amid the chaotic finish, fans were quick to point out the genius of Larkham and how he knew what was about to happen.
Anton de Pasquale (L) ran out of fuel while leading the Bathurst 1000. Image: Getty/Supercars
One person wrote on social media: “Supercars technical presentation is amazing. Make it understandable by anyone with some mechanical knowledge without dumbing it down. And Larko is one of THE best at what he does.”
Another commented: “People like Larko are the quintessence of motorsport. On one hand a showman, on the other a man with an incredible talent for telling technical stories. The viewer is not treated like a fool, but is intrigued.”
While a third added: “Larko was right. He picked it with around 15 laps to go. That they ever considered getting rid of Larko is an absolute crime.”
Mark Larkham remains after controversial axings
Considering the controversial decision to dump Neil Crompton and Mark Skaife from the broadcast team for some fresher faces, the fact that Larkham remains is a huge win for fans who value tradition. Considering he’s a Ford man, Larko was rapt for Kostecki when he won Bathurst alongside co-driver Todd Hazelwood.
Another person wrote online: “I could honestly listen to Mark Larkham talk about Bathurst ALL BLOODY DAY. The bloke could stand there with a whiteboard, a marker and explain the racing line through every single corner for six hours and I’d be sitting there like a five-year-old at story time, absolutely captivated.”