Craig's Corner: My opinion on Finals tactics, and why drivers can't be too defensive

This is the 11th exclusive Supercars.com column by Supercars Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes for the 2025 season. Seven-time Bathurst winner Lowndes will preview each round of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective, continuing with this weekend’s Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

It's crunch time. This is everything the drivers have been working towards all year.

In my years, I can’t remember this sort of pressure being on drivers. I’ve been in title fights before, but having 10 drivers in contention is quite something.

The pressure is there, there's no doubt about that. If they say there’s no pressure, don’t believe them. Normally, when you get to the final round fighting for a championship, the pressure arrives. Now, that pressure is on with three rounds to go.

Before we look too far ahead to The Finals, I'd like to think that Bathurst was a teaser of what's to come. Think, all those drivers scrambling, trying to get into The Finals. It’s what we’ve been talking about — drivers being desperate if they're on the bubble. 

First cab off the rank, you’ve got to get through the Gold Coast with strong results and a straight car. Then, at Sandown, you want to win your golden ticket into the Grand Final. From there, it’s anyone’s guess.

I’ve seen many have labelled Broc Feeney and Matt Payne as the favourites, but there’s so much to play for. We’re going to have some different contenders beyond the regular names, given some will play defence, and others will be on the offence.

Notably, I’m really intrigued by what Brodie Kostecki can achieve. He’s been fired up, and he’ll definitely want to bounce back after a bad Bathurst, given he started from pole. Like Bathurst, the Gold Coast is a circuit that that's got high consequences, high risk, and high reward. Few are better in that scenario than Brodie.

My feeling is there will be some team tactics, because if done well, you could potentially drop a rival out of contention. Some drivers could even influence who they want to join them in later rounds, if they believe they have an edge. 

I’ve lived it. Back in 2006, there was genuine gamesmanship going on in the season finale. Back then, we were leading the way for Ford, and there were plenty of games going on from others, beyond just trying to beat Rick Kelly. How it plays out, and how far teams want to go, will be fascinating.

For teams who have both drivers in The Finals, it’s awkward. Teams are already thinking about how they play the game — it's just a matter of how they execute. Craig Baird and Supercars will be awake to any tricks, and they'll monitor it to some degree. But at the end of the day, it will be decided by which drivers make mistakes.

I’ve also seen some drivers commenting about playing it safe as non-Finals drivers go on the attack. I still think your best defence is offence. If you're at the front of the field, you've got less chance of being caught up in an incident or an accident from someone else.

Yes, there is going be that other side of non-Finals drivers having nothing to lose. They want to finish the year off strong. It’s going to be an uncomfortable balancing act.

You have to be desperate when necessary, especially they're looking for that one extra position that gets them in, or knocks someone out.

The Gold Coast being the first round of The Finals is fantastic. It’s high stakes. Anything can happen. Usually, if one car finds the fence, others follow in quick succession. It can become a car park very quickly, and if you’re a Finals Driver, it’s going to hurt.

I've always said, if you finish a race with your side mirrors still on your car, you haven't tried hard enough. If you want to win this championship, you will need to take risks.

Craig Lowndes is one of the most decorated drivers in Australian motorsport history, winning three drivers' championships, 110 Supercars races and seven Bathurst 1000s. A Supercars Hall of Famer, Lowndes will contest the enduros at The Bend and Bathurst this year.

The 2025 Supercars season resumes at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500. Tickets are on sale now. International viewers can watch the action on SuperView.