Fitzsimmons Roars Back for Adelaide Grand Final Showdown
Hamish Fitzsimmons is heading into the final round of the 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season at the bp Adelaide Grand Final with a renewed sense of purpose and a fully rebuilt car. The pressure is off for the talented rookie, whose hopes for a top three championship finish were agonisingly dashed in a devastating pile-up at the previous round on the Gold Coast.
The season-ending races will take place on the iconic, shortened street circuit from Thursday, November 27, to Sunday, November 30, in the heart of Adelaide.
A Gold Coast Nightmare and a Fresh Start
Fitzsimmons’ rookie campaign had been a stellar run in the elite Porsche Junior category until Round 7 at the Gold Coast. A nine-car shunt on just the second lap of Race 1 prematurely ended his weekend and left his car beyond immediate repair, effectively ending his shot at an overall top three championship spot.
"With the car repaired and the pressure now off, it’s full commitment here in Adelaide,"said Fitzsimmons, eyeing a return to form and a powerful finish to his debut season.
The Ultimate Street Showdown: Adelaide's Parklands Circuit
The historic Adelaide Parklands Circuit, a shortened version of Australia's former F1 track, is notorious for demanding commitment and precision. With concrete barriers wrapping around many corners, the circuit offers a high-risk, high-reward challenge.
Its unique characteristics include:
The Infamous Turn 8
Every driver knows the "big elephant in the room" is Turn 8. The fast, sweeping right-hander on the back straight is a defining moment on the lap, requiring a delicate balance of brake, lift, or a combination of both. A slight miscalculation here has historically proven to be a race-ender for many drivers across all categories.
The team is focused on understanding how the track evolves as it "rubbers up" throughout the weekend, managing the usual bumps and aggressive kerbs synonymous with Australian street racing.
Race Schedule and Broadcast Details
Fitzsimmons and the team will have two practice sessions on Thursday to get up to speed before the competitive action begins. All Carrera Cup sessions, with the exception of Practice 1, will be broadcast live on Kayo, Foxtel, 7, and 7+.
| Day | Time (Adelaide Time) | Session | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 27 Nov | 9:05 am | Practice 1 | 25 minutes |
| 1:25 pm | Practice 2 | 25 minutes | |
| Friday, 28 Nov | 8:20 am | Qualifying | 20 minutes |
| 1:25 pm | Race 1 | 45 minutes | |
| Saturday, 29 Nov | 1:20 pm | Race 2 | 20 minutes |
| Sunday, 30 Nov | 1:15 pm | Race 3 | 20 minutes |
Thursday 27 November
P1 Update: Gaining Ground on a Tricky Adelaide Track
The first practice session for Fitzsimmons at the Adelaide parklands circuit is complete, marking Hamish's debut on this demanding street circuit.
Held on a cold, drying track at 9:05 am, the 25-minute session was focused on building confidence and pace. It was an incident-free outing for Hamish, who saw his lap times progressively improve as the Porsche 992 rubber was laid down and the track gripped up.
The notoriously fast T1/T2 chicane proved challenging for many drivers, with numerous competitors logging kerb strikes as they explored the track limits. Hamish navigated the challenge effectively, ultimately finishing the session in P13.
His final lap was his quickest, suggesting the pace was truly starting to come. Hamish noted that he "probably could have benefited from one more lap" to maximise the run.
A solid starting point for the weekend, plenty of data collected for both driver and engineer to analyse and polish up ahead of Practice 2 later this afternoon."
P2: Fitzsimmons Nears Top 10 Despite Traffic Woes
Hamish Fitzsimmons continued his strong learning curve in the second practice session this afternoon, demonstrating progressive improvement at the Adelaide circuit.
The session started perfectly, with Hamish maximizing the clear track conditions early on to steadily climb the timing sheets. However, the critical second half of P2—where drivers typically extract the maximum pace from their tires—was unfortunately marred by heavy traffic.
This made the crucial tire phase-in tricky, limiting his ultimate potential and resulting in a finish of P11.
Hamish was quick to identify where the final tenths were lost:
"I was definitely up on time during my final flyer, but I pushed a little too hard and went too deep into Turn 9, which meant I had to abort the lap," Hamish explained. "It was frustrating, but we know the pace is there. We're close to the top ten and ready to convert that speed into a solid qualifying result tomorrow."
Friday 28 November
Qualifying (30 minutes)
The critical 30-minute qualifying session for the final round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season kicked off Friday morning, with Hamish Fitzsimmons aiming to convert yesterday's pace into a strong grid slot.
Following overnight analysis and setup adjustments, the team was focused on maximizing the potential of the #16 Porsche on the unforgiving Adelaide street circuit.
The session proved challenging early on. For the first 15 minutes, Hamish wrestled with the car, struggling to find the required front-end grip and pace, which kept him outside the top ten. A mid-session pit stop allowed the team to make crucial setup tweaks. Once back on track with phased tires, Hamish successfully put his head down and squeezed out a strong flying lap just as the session reached its climax.
Unfortunately, that pace was cut short. A red flag interruption occurred when a Pro-Am competitor made contact with the wall at the T1/T2 chicane, ending the session prematurely.
Grid Positions Set
With the session curtailed, Hamish's final posted times slotted him in:
Hamish acknowledged the difficulties: "Overall, not the best session. I definitely struggled with the car in the early runs, but it felt much better in the second half. It's frustrating to be cut short; I reackon we had at least one more quick lap in the car to improve our Race 2 starting position."
The team now shifts focus to race trim. Race 1 (45 minutes) is scheduled to start at 1:25 PM Adelaide time.
Race 1 Chaos: Fitzsimmons Navigates Carnage to Finish P11
The opening race of the final round at Adelaide was an immediate test of strategy and nerve, as the predicted rain arrived right on schedule, turning the 45-minute sprint into a dramatic affair that was ultimately declared early.
The race began with a crucial strategic gamble. Despite the rain, all but two drivers elected to start on slick tires, including Hamish. Local hero Max Vidau, starting on wets, proved the meteorologists and his strategy right, dominating from the start.
Hamish quickly recognised the need for change and pitted under a Full Course Yellow to switch to wet tyres. He rejoined the track back down in P18, but the speed was immediately apparent. "We should have elected for wets earlier than we did," Hamish noted. "Visibility down the back straight was virtually non-existent during green racing. Once we had the wets, we were set."
As the race settled into a rhythm, the treacherous conditions came to a head midway through. Hamish was steadily progressing through the field when disaster struck at the notorious Turn 8. A Pro-driver hit the wall, triggering a chain reaction of serious incidents directly ahead of the #16 992.
In a split second of car control, Hamish was the second car through the chaotic scene. He meticulously squeezed his 992 between the safety barrier and another Pors badly damaged, stationary car, narrowly avoiding terminal damage.
A Full Course Yellow was issued, and with the track deemed unrepairable due to the scale of the incident, the race was red-flagged and declared early with approximately 15 minutes remaining.
Hamish’s strong recovery and incident avoidance were rewarded crossing the line in P11.
"It was a pity the race was declared early, as I could see I had a good opportunity to pick up some more spots," Hamish concluded. "A huge relief to come out of that Turn 8 mess with the car intact. We take P11 and focus on Race 2.", says Hamish
Race 2 Report: Early Progress Halted by Red Flag, P10 Finish
The Adelaide sun shone brightly for the start of Race 2, but unfortunately, the 25 minute sprint was another victim of the unforgiving street circuit, ending prematurely after just one green-flag lap.
Starting from P14 (promoted after two competitors withdrew due to Race 1 damage), Hamish Fitzsimmons got off to an excellent start. He immediately picked up a position into Turn 1 and expertly gained another spot through the demanding T4/5/6 staircase combination.
However, the action was short lived. Drama unfolded on the run to the end of the first lap when two cars made contact, resulting in one competitor spearing into the tyre barrier at Turn 13. The extensive damage triggered an immediate full course yellow.
With the track deemed unrepairable in the limited time remaining, the race was red flagged and declared, with Hamish officially finishing in P10.
"I’m clearly disappointed that the race was effectively over after just one lap," said Hamish. "The car felt awesome, and I felt I could have picked up several more places over a full run. It’s frustrating to have two races declared early, but we take the P10 and move forward."
The focus now shifts entirely to tomorrow. "We're really looking forward to Sunday, and hopefully, we finally get to run the full race distance under green."
Sunday 30 November
Day 3: Race 3 Concludes Hamish's Rookie Season with a Strong Finish
Race 3 (25 minutes)
The final race of the 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season saw Hamish line up on the grid in P10. As the sun set on a dramatic Adelaide afternoon, the stage was set for the culmination of what has been an intense and varied rookie year for the young driver.
Demonstrating maturity and commitment, Hamish executed another superb start and immediately began to climb the order. In what was a welcome and completely green flag race a true test of raw speed Hamish found the season defining pace that had been elusive at times. He drove a clean, fast race, steadily making up places and returned the car to the garage completely unscathed.
This fantastic drive was a brilliant way to cap off his debut year, crossing the line in an impressive P8 outright. Crucially, he secured P2 in the highly competitive Porsche Michelin Junior category for the race. This strong result meant he finished the final round in P10 outright and took P2 in the Michelin Juniors for the round on a countback.
🏆 Hamish's Final 2025 Season Standings:
| Category | Final Position |
|---|---|
| Outright (Pro) | 11th |
| Endurance Cup (Pro) | 12th |
| Porsche Michelin Juniors | 5th |
