Supercars stars, champions hail 'pressure cooker' Finals system
Supercars
3h
Chaz Mostert hails "pressure cooker" Finals Series rules
Scott McLaughlin backs changes, reiterates mistakes in "crucial moments"
"Have to perform week in, week out," says Jamie Whincup
Former champions and current stars have hailed the new-for-2025 Finals Series, which will see Supercars drivers take a new path to championship glory.
Announced Wednesday on the eve of the Repco Bathurst 1000, the 2025 season will begin with a Sprint Cup, before moving into the Enduro Cup and concluding with a three-event Finals.
The Finals Series will determine the 2025 Repco Supercars Champion and will feature a new elimination-style format.
The highest point-scorers from the first 27 races, along with the Sprint Cup and Enduro Cup winners, will automatically qualify, creating a Finals Series field of 10.
From there, three will be eliminated at the Gold Coast and three more at Sandown, leaving four drivers to fight it out for the title in Adelaide.
Walkinshaw Andretti United star Chaz Mostert backed the new system, saying there’s “no hiding” en route to and in the Finals Series.
“The first word that comes to mind is wow,” Mostert said at Wednesday’s launch.
“It’s going to create an absolute pressure cooker for the whole year for all 24 drivers in the championship. There’s not one race you can’t let your guard down.
“At the moment, you can have a good year for 85 percent, 90 percent of the way, then have a couple of bad races and probably still become the champion.
“Where here, there’s no hiding. More races, you’re fighting to get to the enduros, fighting through the enduros to make the Finals.
“What we see in other ball sports around the country, if you’re following your team, you’re riding that high through the normal season into the finals, and you’re hoping your team’s going to be there in the finals.
“That’s what I feel like the fans are going to think about their drivers they follow or the team they follow all year, all the way down to Adelaide, it will be a nail-biter to see who becomes champion.
“On paper, it looks so different and crazy, but the best guys are still gonna in the fight all the way down to the end of the year. I’m looking forward to be a part of the first year of it.”
Three-time Supercars champion turned IndyCar title contender Scott McLaughlin also backed the Finals Series, reiterating that mistakes in “crucial moments” will always be costly for drivers.
"Hot take. I like it, gotta be good and consistent at the end over three super tough tracks. Everyone hates change but I feel like this will be a good one,” McLaughlin posted to social media.
Jamie Whincup won a record seven championships under the current system, which sees the driver with the most points over the course of a season crowned champion.
Now team boss and owner of Triple Eight, Whincup claimed winning championships under the new system will be “more difficult,” which is not only a win for the competitive landscape, but a win for fans.
“From a team owners’ perspective, we’ve benefited pushing Supercars to make a change. We expected a small swing, but they’ve made a massive swing. All the team owners were united in that this is a great thing for the sport," Whincup said on Wednesday.
“From a driving point of view, it’s probably going to become more difficult, which is only a good thing. You absolutely have to perform when the Finals come around.
“Of course, you’ve got to get into the Finals, you’ve gotta be there, but once you’re in there, you have to perform week in, week out.
“You make a mistake, hey, there’s an opportunity to get out of it, but you have to be there, and it’s going to come down to the Grand Final at Adelaide, which is great.
“Supercars have done a great job, they’ve spoken to all the team owners, all the key stakeholders, the fans, everyone, they’ve done a massive amount of due diligence in the background.
“It’s all pointed to, this is the way the sport has to go. I'm proud to be part of a sport that’s evolving, because a sport that doesn’t keep changing and evolving, eventually becomes uncompetitive. I'm excited for the future."
