Craig's Corner: Aggression or intent? Mostert vs Kostecki unpacked

This is the fourth exclusive Supercars.com column by Supercars Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes for the 2026 season. Seven-time Bathurst winner Lowndes will unpack each round of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective, continuing with last weekend's ITM Christchurch Super 440.

Chaz versus Brodie

The clash between Chaz Mostert and Brodie Kostecki has everyone talking.

On the initial contact at Turn 2, yes, we want to see aggression out there and a bit of feeling. What happened afterwards, I think that was over the line from Chaz.

Firstly, you never want to see a car go skipping across the infield. Whether it was luck or ability — I think it was a bit of both — Brodie did well to be able to keep his car off the track and away from others.

Brodie has since described Chaz's actions as malicious, which I think is a very harsh way of describing it. I don't think it was malicious. It’s not normally a Chaz move, he is better than that. It was out of character.

I believe Chaz is sorry for his actions and I have no doubt that he and Brodie will work it out. At the same time, if Brodie's car had had dug in and started to roll, it would've been a far more dangerous outcome.

Chaz copped a 30-second penalty, dropping him from fourth to 17th. I think it was a fair penalty for the outcome. I think if there was a multi-car accident when Brodie came back onto the track, I think it would’ve warranted more investigation.

In the moment, I think the penalty fitted the crime. But if you’re Brodie, you're obviously on the other side of it, and you never feel like it's harsh enough.

Chatting after the race to a driver you’ve collided with can get very heated, but in my experience, you should try and nip it in the bud and explain your side of the story. Chaz believes Brodie was aggressive at Turn 2, while Brodie claimed it was retaliation.

Chaz was remorseful for his actions, and said the outcome was not his intention. We're all human, we all make mistakes. But for Brodie, I think it's going to be kept in the vault for a long time, because he feels Chaz put him in a dangerous position.

Flyin' Ryan

Unfortunately, people may likely only remember the last race. But Ryan Wood absolutely excelled across the two New Zealand rounds.

A Kiwi racing in New Zealand comes with pressure, but he lifted to a new level and performed. He did a fantastic job, he was unbelievable. He got the first win and pole position for Toyota. We cannot forget that.

There are so many positives to come out of both weekends, and he has to put this heartbreak behind him. The team will analyse what happened to the car and why it happened, but they must turn it into strength and go again.

Perfect Payne

Matt Payne was clinical in Christchurch. The Penrite Racing team on the whole was fantastic.

Matt didn't put a foot wrong in Christchurch. He gapped the field with ease in the last two races, which in this competitive era, was a surprise.

But Kai Allen’s performance also stands out. He's so young, yet delivered repeat performances from a driver beyond his years.

As a collective, save for some hiccups in pit lane, the team did a magnificent job. They had their issues, Matt losing a wheel and Kai being delayed in pit lane. But they were the fastest in the lane on Sunday when it mattered most. The frightening thing for Penrite Racing’s rivals is that they have more improvement to come.

Broc on top

The JR Trophy is one that drivers have a lot of respect to be able to hold up, because of who Jason Richards was.

It was a great result for Broc Feeney, and also for his engineer Marty Short, who is a proud Kiwi. Broc's reaction was great. He knew how special it was to win it, but it wasn't easy for him.

He had no radio, so he was racing blind. Add to that, the Red Bull Ampol Fords weren't the benchmark. At the end there, he had no idea that he was equal on points with Brodie. Then everything changed, and Broc also leads the championship.

It's a credit to Broc to be able to overcome those issues, put his head down, and drive the car as hard and fast as he can.

Thank you, New Zealand

New Zealand people are so passionate about motorsport. They came out in droves, they're very polite, they're very respectful, and they love their racing. It was a pleasure to be there meeting fans.

It's great for Supercars to showcase what they're made of in New Zealand. It always amazes me how much support Supercars have in New Zealand.

The support Supercars has over there is just unbelievable and incredible. I can't wait for next year!

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.