What's behind Mostert's low-key start to 2025

Chaz Mostert is somehow keeping pace with the leaders through two rounds, but it has been a tougher start to 2025 for the Walkinshaw Andretti United star.

Mostert has two podiums and has crossed the line in the top 10 in all six races so far, only for a post-race time penalty to dump him to 22nd in the final race in Melbourne.

On paper, the race results are there, but a tough Grand Prix pushed Mostert 134 points behind reigning champion Will Brown, who leads Cam Waters by just seven points.

However, digging deeper into Mostert's performance, qualifying has so far proven the two-time Bathurst winner's Achilles heel through two rounds.

Mostert was eighth, third and 10th in Sydney, the latter result coming after he spun off during his Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout lap. In Melbourne, he qualified 13th, 15th, 11th and 23rd, the final result triggered by an incident with Brown.

All told, it has produced a 11.86 qualifying average for Mostert, which is 8.36 positions worse off than his 3.50 average through two rounds in 2024. Younger teammate Ryan Wood has fared better, and leads the qualifying head-to-head 4.3.

In his 12 full seasons, only twice has Mostert left Round 2 with a worse qualifying average; 12.60 in 2022, and 12.83 in his rookie season in 2014.

It's no surprise to WAU itself, although Team Principal Carl Faux reiterated that race pace is there. That's backed up by the numbers; had Mostert not been penalised in race 6, he would have the second-best race gain behind James Courtney. With the penalty applied, it's still an impressive fifth of all drivers.

“It was a weekend of two halves and that’s frustrating. We didn’t have the one-lap pace for qualifying but, on the flip side, jeez we had fast race cars," Faux said.

“So the pace was a bit up-and-down, but Chaz Mostert is still fourth in the points and raced forward."

Mostert qualified seventh and ninth for last year's Taupō races, with the 2025 season resuming in New Zealand on April 11-13. Tickets are on sale now.

Chaz Mostert average qualifying after Round 2