Does Team 18 want a Ford-bound Chevrolet team to win?

Amid all the unknowns as to who will win the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship at the bp Adelaide Grand Final, one thing is a certainty when the 2026 season begins in February.

A Chevrolet Camaro will not carry the #1.

That's not to say a Camaro won't win, in fact given the form that Red Bull Ampol Racing pair Broc Feeney and Will Brown found at Sandown, you'd be foolish to suggest they won't be in the hunt.

However, with Adelaide representing their last round with GM before making a headline switch back to Ford as their homologation team, a title win for either would be bittersweet for GM.

Incoming GM homologation team Team 18 had their star recruit Anton De Pasquale knocked out of The Finals at the first hurdle on the Gold Coast. Had it not been for self-inflicted penalties on both days, the #18 Camaro would've made it through to the Semi Final at Sandown. To add insult to injury, had De Pasquale been in the seven at Sandown, his Sunday podium would've handed him a Grand Final berth.

It's all down to Triple Eight, given third parties can't influence races. Drivers, meanwhile, face significant fines should they also attempt to manipulate races.

Alas, it has still been a fine season for both parties, with De Pasquale seeming to have new life breathed into him after a tough stint at Dick Johnson Racing.

It's no question that there will be increased attention on Team 18 next season as they become the hero team of GM, and that pressure would only increase if Triple Eight were able to secure the drivers championship to go with the teams' championship won at Sandown.

Despite that, Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt is still adamant that he wants to see Chevrolet finish the season on top.

When asked if he wants to see Triple Eight to win, or he doesn’t care or wins, Schwerkolt replied: "No, definitely a Chev. Gotta be a Chev for sure.

“We are the Chev homologation team next year, and we want a Chev win. They'll go out in style and I hope they can for sure.

“It would be great for the brand, great for General Motors."

Of the four Grand Finalists, only rookie Kai Allen is set to remain with the same manufacturer into 2026, with Penrite Racing sticking with Ford for 2026.

Walkinshaw Andretti United's Chaz Mostert will also be eager to farewell his current manufacturer, Ford, with an elusive title win.

Should Mostert claim the title, it would give incoming manufacturer Toyota a dream start to their Supercars venture, with the #1 potentially set to adorn the all-new GR Supra.