Top 10 Supercars drivers of 2025: #8 Anton De Pasquale
As 2025 winds down, Supercars.com is ranking the top 10 drivers of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship, continuing with Anton De Pasquale, who comes in as our #8.
Moving from the mighty (if stumbling) Dick Johnson Racing to a largely unproven Team 18 could've proved a career crossroads for Anton De Pasquale. Instead, he flourished in his new environment.
Immediately, the nine-time race winner recorded the best ever finish by a Team 18 driver in the drivers' championship, with three podiums throughout the season to claim eighth.
By the end of the season, De Pasquale was largely responsible for dragging Team 18 from 10th in last year's teams' championship to a best-ever finish of fifth.
And who did they finish ahead of? None other than DJR.
Anton De Pasquale's season stats
Position: 8th
Best finish: 2nd (Darwin, Sandown)
Average finish: 10.21
Race head-to-head with teammate: 24-8
Podiums: 3 (Darwin, Townsville, Sandown)
Best start: 2nd (Taupō, Darwin, Sandown)
Average start: 9.56
Qualifying head-to-head with teammate: 25-8
Why we picked him
Anton De Pasquale has provided a huge boost in Team 18's fortunes since he joined, and has put together what is arguably the most impressive campaign any Team 18 driver has compiled.
Whilst he couldn't quite secure a race win at his new home, De Pasquale was more often than not contesting right at the pointy end of the field.
That's not to say there weren't costly mistakes, firing off at the first corner from a front row start in Taupō, getting caught out in tricky conditions at Bathurst, or perhaps most painfully making contact with James Courtney on the Gold Coast, losing a Semi Final berth in the process.
However, by and large 2025 was a welcome reminder of the talent De Pasquale possesses, and a return to competitiveness after a tough end to his DJR relationship.
What we expect next season
Team 18 take on a whole new challenge in 2026, and it is a daunting one at that, replacing Ford-bound Triple Eight as the GM homologation team.
Whether that will bring another step forward for the team remains to be seen, however if the back end of 2025 was anything to go by, the trajectory is certainly pointed in the right direction.
With GM making no secret of their intention to land a superstar signing as they head into their post-Triple Eight era, it could also stoke the fire for De Pasquale to prove he can be capable of being the leader for Chevrolet.
If he can jag that first win in Team 18 colours, it will only further strengthen what is already a solid case.
The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.
