Lowndes' Brock advice for Mostert, Percat

Walkinshaw Andretti United duo Chaz Mostert and Nick Percat can expect a divided fan response, says Craig Lowndes.

Mostert and Percat will shift from Commodores to Mustangs in 2023.

It comes as WAU confirms its switch to Ford for Supercars’ Gen3 era.

The team leaves behind over 30 years of running Holdens.

Lowndes was part of two high-profile defections in his career; one individual, and the other team.

He won three drivers’ titles and a Bathurst 1000 for the Holden Racing Team between 1996 and 1999.

Lowndes shifted from Holden to Ford in 2001, which at the time, was almost unconscionable.

After some mixed seasons, he moved to Triple Eight in 2005, and the team became a powerhouse in subsequent years.

Triple Eight made a blockbuster move to Holden in 2010, returning Lowndes to the red side of the fence.

Having been on both sides of the divide, Lowndes knows what Mostert and Percat are in for.

“It’s a big move for a team, full stop,” Lowndes told Supercars.com.

“When I was at Triple Eight, we first started as a Ford team before we moved to Holden.

“I took it as a challenge, it was something new; Chaz went through it when he first moved to WAU.

“Nick is now about to go through it. They’ll embrace it; they’ll drive in anger as much as what they’re doing now.

“It’ll be a matter of getting their heads around set-ups and what-not, but of course, that will change with Gen3.

“I’ll say what Brock said to me when I first moved from Holden to Ford.

"50 per cent of the fan base will love you, and 50 per cent will hate you."

Mostert raced Fords between 2013 and 2019 before he moved to WAU.

Percat, meanwhile, has never raced a Ford in either Supercars or Super2.

The Walkinshaw squad itself made its name with Commodores, winning half a dozen championships and over 180 races.

Come 2023, and the team will not only race Mustangs, but it will also receive factory support from Ford.

For Lowndes, it all fits in the puzzle of the team’s efforts to secure its future, off- and on-track.

“The team has had such a long alliance with General Motors,” Lowndes said.

“In saying that, it's not the first time a team has changed manufacturers.

“Straightaway, I think of the Kelly brothers going from Holden to Nissan, then to Ford.

“I’m sure the decision to switch would have been undertaken heavily by Bruce [Stewart] and Ryan [Walkinshaw]

“Motor racing is a business; you have to look at the best options for yourselves. That side of it isn’t a surprise.

“Ryan hasn’t been quiet in the sense they’ve been looking at other manufacturers.

"We only have two manufacturers at the moment; you’re only looking at the Camaro or Mustang.

“It’s a business decision; they were thinking about the future, and rightfully so."