Motorsport: V8 leaders should be nervous, says Brabham

V8 Supercar Co-driver David Brabham. Photo / Getty Images

GOLD COAST - Experienced co-driver David Brabham says V8 Supercar championship contenders such as Jamie Whincup and James Courtney should be nervous going into this weekend's Gold Coast 600.

With several international drivers joining the field for the two 300km races at the Surfers Paradise street circuit this weekend, Brabham believes the event could have a big impact on the championship.

The top four drivers in the championship - Whincup, Courtney, Craig Lowndes and Mark Winterbottom - are separated by less than 300 points and the 45-year-old feels there's the chance an international driver unused to driving a V8 Supercar could cruel one or more's title hopes.

"V8 Supercars seem to be very sensitive to set up, you can see there are teams that have good consistency, they understand more, where the rest of the bunch are struggling every weekend, sometimes they are fast, sometimes that are not," the youngest son of three-time Formula One world champion Sir Jack Brabham said.

"If I was a James Courtney or Jamie Whincup going into the Gold Coast event I would be nervous, extremely nervous.

"This race could decide the championship basically."

Most of the guest drivers will go into this weekend's race with a solitary day at Queensland Raceway today and Friday's practice sessions on the Surfers Paradise as their only hit-outs in a V8.

Brabham, who has already competed with Ford's Alex Davison in the Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000 in the past month, believes that lack of experience in the cars could prove telling.

"Some of them would have raced at the circuit before, which will help, even though there is a slight change to the track," he said.

"Some of them will have an advantage in terms of track knowledge, but in terms of knowledge of how the race cars work, they're going to have a massive learning curve.

"Hopefully there's not a lot of carnage. With all of those guys out there trying to fight for top position, it's going to be interesting.

"These cars are not the easiest cars to drive at speed. You've got to be in them a long time to really get the best out of them.

"Going through the whole format is going to be so new to them, anything can happen."

The Gold Coast 600 gets underway with four practice sessions on Friday, before a 300km race each on Saturday and Sunday.

- AAP