Mostert opens up on incident fallout, Kostecki catch-up

Chaz Mostert has reiterated that the controversial Christchurch incident is "all on me," with the reigning champion determined to move past his feud with Brodie Kostecki.

Mostert and Kostecki clashed in a dramatic conclusion to the Christchurch finale. Mostert was penalised over the incident, while Kostecki lost the championship lead to Broc Feeney.

The incident set off a chain of commentary, led by Kostecki's claim that the move was malicious. Mostert insisted the outcome wasn't his intention, and later apologised.

Kostecki's engineer George Commins claimed the move was "unacceptably dangerous," before Dick Johnson Racing co-owner Dr Ryan Story labelled Mostert's comments as "unbecoming" of a reigning champion. Triple Eight rival Will Brown, meanwhile, labelled the incident as "unnecessary."

In recent days, vision emerged of Mostert and Kostecki embracing at a house party, which was also attended by Brown, and Mostert's teammate Wood.

Speaking at a media call launching July's NTI Townsville 500, Mostert said he had reflected on the incident and insisted he was at fault.

When asked is the rivalry is still "simmering away", Mostert replied: “I guess we’ll find out at the next event.

“Like any driver, you reflect on past races and in the moment you would of course do different scenarios or change your approach, and that’s what I’ve had to do from the last event and try and reflect on myself and reflect on what I would do differently.

“No doubt, it wasn’t the outcome I definitely wanted in New Zealand, which I’ve been pretty open about. You never want to see any competitors go off the track in the way that did. That’s all on me.

“I’m looking forward to the next event and try qualify up there and get some more results for our team. We lost a lot of points over that one. Looking forward to it.

“Brodie is a champion of our sport. He gives his all on and off [the track] and I’ve got enormous respect for him and it was good to go see him after the event and hopefully put it behind us.”

The Mostert/Kostecki rivalry is the latest on-track feud to hit Supercars, headlined by the ongoing tension between Feeney and Wood following last season's controversial Adelaide title decider.

Mostert believes the heat has risen since the introduction of the Finals, adding: "I think everyone with their helmets on, everyone’s got a rivalry against someone.

“It might not be so much talked about off track, but definitely from last year to this year, I feel like our racing has really taken a gear.

“With the Finals format and cut-off lines and all that sort of stuff and focusing on all these different stories, no doubt all us drivers feel that pressure. In those pressure moments it either makes you or breaks you.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we have these elements to talk about in our series where previous years we’re talking about one or two guys that might have to fight for the championship throughout the year. Now it’s all unknown.

“It’s exciting, it’s exhilarating, the drivers feel the pressure of the teams and that’s all just coming out a bit more. Other than trying to add speculation and add rivalry, they’re already there. We just probably don’t necessarily talk about them so much.”

Track action in Tasmania commences on Friday May 22.