Mostert apologises over controversial Kostecki clash
Chaz Mostert apologises over controversial Brodie Kostecki clash
Reigning champion penalised over incident that saw Kostecki run off
Mostert reclassified from fourth to 17th, drops to 11th overall
Chaz Mostert has publicly apologised to Brodie Kostecki and the Shell V-Power Racing team following the dramatic end to Race 13 in Christchurch.
On the penultimate lap, Kostecki fired down the inside of Turn 2, and hit Mostert's Toyota. Mostert returned serve, the two cars clashing before Kostecki was sent into the infield.
Kostecki came back across the road, and the out-of-control Shell V-Power Mustang sent the pack scattering. Notably, Will Brown narrowly missed Kostecki's stricken car.
Mostert crossed the line fourth, but was reclassified 17th after being slapped with a 30-second penalty. Kostecki finished 18th, and lost both the championship lead and the Jason Richards Trophy to Broc Feeney.
In his initial interview, Mostert said: "Not the outcome I wanted from that... Brodie was pretty adventurous down there at [Turn] 2 and bowled me wide, so I let him know I was pretty upset, but that wasn't my intention for sure.
"We made wheel-to-wheel contact, and it just spat me sideways, and then the last one whiplashed Brodie off, so not ideal."
In his initial interview, Mostert admitted he wasn't happy with Kostecki's dive, which suggesting interlocking wheels delivered the crucial blow.
In the hours after the race, Mostert apologised to Kostecki and his team, writing: "Difficult race today for us, going back and forth at the end and not the way we wanted the race to end, sorry to Brodie and his team."
Mostert added, in the team release: "Everyone in here is hurting a bit tonight, but that’s okay, we can use it going forward to make us stronger."
In his own social media post, Kostecki commented that he was "glad no one was injured" in the incident, which ended a streak of nine finishes in the top six, including seven finishes inside the top two.
The incident dropped Mostert to 11th in the championship, 23 points out of the top 10.
