James Courtney Appointed as F2/F3 Driving Standards Advisor for Australian GP
2010 Supercars champion James Courtney has been appointed as the Driving Standards Advisor for the F2 and F3 series at the Australian Grand Prix. The retired driver will provide expert input on racing incidents, leveraging his unique background in both open-wheel and touring car competition.
Former Supercars champion James Courtney will serve as the Driving Standards Advisor (DSA) for the Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships during their season-opening round at the Australian Grand Prix. The 2010 Bathurst 1000 winner, who retired from full-time Supercars competition last year, brings a wealth of racing experience to the officiating role, which involves providing a driver's perspective on on-track incidents.
Why it matters:
The appointment of a high-profile touring car champion to an FIA-sanctioned officiating role in the F1 feeder series is a significant nod to the professionalism and respect commanded by the Supercars championship. It highlights a cross-pollination of expertise between different top-level motorsport disciplines and underscores the value of practical racing experience in the adjudication process.
The details:
- Courtney's primary role will be to review racing incidents and provide expert opinion on driver fault, particularly in borderline cases, to the race stewards. He clarified he will not be involved in deciding penalties.
- His career path uniquely qualifies him for the role. Before his successful Supercars tenure, Courtney was a promising open-wheel prospect in Europe, competing in Formula Ford and F3, and was on the radar of F1 teams before a major testing crash in 2002 altered his trajectory.
- He believes his extensive experience "on the other side of the fence" as a driver in both open-wheel and touring cars will be crucial in making fair assessments.
- Courtney is balancing this new position with his ongoing roles in real estate, as a TV analyst for Supercars Media, and as an endurance co-driver for Team 18 in the Supercars championship.
What's next:
Courtney will take up his duties when the F2 and F3 championships commence their 2026 seasons at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. He views the appointment as an honor and a positive reflection on the Supercars category, noting it's "a great news story for Supercars as a championship, that we're at a level where the FIA chooses to pick one of us." His performance could pave the way for other experienced drivers from various series to be considered for similar officiating roles in the future.