Circuit tweak for Symmons Plains ahead of Supercars

A critical flag point, located at the iconic hairpin, has been shifted as part of a safety-related FIA mandate.

The flag point has been moved from the inside of the hairpin to the outside in a bid to improve safety for what is one of the biggest stops on the Supercars calendar.

Symmons Plains is characterised by its two long, fast sections of track either side of the slowest corner on the schedule.

It is thought that relocating the flag point to the outside of the hairpin will reduce risk for the marshals stationed at the post.

"We've changed the flag marshal point after a recommendation from the FIA," Don Potter, General Manager for Motorsports Tasmania," told The Repco Garage.

"Where the marshalling post was plonked in the middle of the hairpin at the end of the armco, we had an 11-car pile up in that channel area.

"The belief is if we did have a crash at that hairpin area, with 11 or 12 cars, there would be an issue of the actual armco moving and the flag point being compromised at the end of the straight.

"At Bathurst, there was an issue of a car riding the concrete wall and hitting a flag point, so moving the flag post to the left side of the concrete wall means there’s less chance of this happening.

"I can see the point of change, it’s always been historically on the inside and our flaggies are a little bit disappointed because they like to see it there, but it’s safer to be on the outside."

Practice for the Tasmania SuperSprint kicks off at 9am on Saturday.