Supercars confirms mid-season debut for Gen3

As first flagged by Motorsport.com, the Aussie series has elected for a controversial mid-season switch in hardware next year.

The plan is for the new Gen3 cars to begin racing in August 2022.

That will leave a full year of development should the prototypes hit the track this August as planned.

"Supercars has today confirmed the Gen3 race cars are targeted for inclusion in the Repco Supercars Championship in August 2022," read a statement.

"Following challenges with international supply chains and ongoing domestic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to ensure a seamless introduction of the new platform at that time.

"The preparation and building of the Gen3 race cars will still be conducted as quickly as possible and the completion of the Camaro and Mustang prototypes are a key short-term focus.

"The additional time will be used to thoroughly test new components prior to introduction, particularly those that must be sourced from outside of Australia.

"Regardless of the above, Supercars remains committed to unveiling the prototype Gen3 cars to fans as soon as possible. The prototypes will have regular outings at all Supercars events in the lead up to racing next year."

The Gen3 timeline has been the source of significant controversy in recent months, as teams became increasingly skeptical that having cars ready for the start of the 2022 season would be feasible.

There was a push to have the regulations moved back to 2023, however a recent crisis meeting between the teams and category officials resolved to press on with a 2022 introduction even if it wasn't for the first round.