Mostert's theory on why young guns are leading new era
14 of 18 races in 2025 have been won by drivers 28 or younger
Of 54 podiums this season, 37 have been won by drivers 28 or younger
Chaz Mostert, Cam Waters only 30-somethings to win this year
The narrative leading into the Gen3 era was set on how veterans would lead the way in Supercars — but two years down the line, that narrative has completely turned on its head.
Downforce was slashed off the Gen3 cars after an era of high downforce Gen2 cars. In the years since, Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown both won titles at just 26 years of age.
The rising stars have turned up the wick in 2025 — 14 of 18 races this season have been won by drivers aged between 21 and 28.
The anomalies are Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters, who will tick over 33 and 31 this year.
Of 54 podiums this season, 37 have been won by drivers aged between 21 and 28. Mostert and Waters have six apiece, Nick Percat has three, and Will Davison and James Courtney have one each.
In contrast, five of the 34 races in 2022, the last season of Gen2, were won by drivers aged in their 20s.
It continues a clear generational shift in Supercars. Of the 24 drivers on the 2025 grid, 15 entered the new year aged 29 or younger. In 2017, 17 of the 26 drivers were aged 30 or older.
At the start of 2017, drivers had contested an average of 120.54 events and 270.96 races. In 2025, the averages dropped to 85.13 events and 186.13 races — a change of 35.41 events, and 84.83 races.
Speaking on The Formation Lap, Mostert theorised that younger drivers have been able to convert their styles to Gen3 cars quicker than veterans have been able to remove habits that set in the previous cars.
"We went from this Gen2 car, which had high downforce, the way it sets the Dunlop tyre because it's got 200, 300 kilos more downforce on the car and how that makes the car feel really live,” Mostert said.
“To Gen3, where you have much less downforce, less pressure on those tyres in the high speed corners, and the cars feel very light, especially on the tyre.
"I think this is where it's kind of really brought a lot of young guys into it, which come a bit more from a similar background with a lot less feedback.
“They’re filling in those gaps a bit more than what some of us are older blokes are, where we're really trying to rely on our experience from where Gen1 and Gen2 of Supercars came. They’re really taking it to us at the moment.
“It's a really level playing field, especially between the young and the older generations, in Gen3.”
When it comes to the crunch, though, Mostert believes his experience will carry him through the backend of the season into the Finals, where the championship will be won.
It's no more telling in 2025, with Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Ryan Wood owning a 13-6 qualifying head-to-head. In the races, though, it's 9-9, with Wood caught out by incidents and bad luck.
"I'm looking forward to this back part of this year because especially when we get to Townsville, we had a great round there last year and the Finals are coming up," Mostert said.
“Hopefully the experience on my side can really kind of to come into play there."
The 2025 Supercars season resumes in Townsville on July 11-13. Tickets are on sale now. International viewers can watch the action on SuperView.
