'Could've been monumental': Brown hits out over Christchurch controversy

Will Brown has weighed in on the controversial conclusion to the ITM Christchurch Super 440, involving fellow Supercars champions Brodie Kostecki and Chaz Mostert.

In a move that has divided opinions throughout the paddock, Kostecki was sent on a wild ride through the Ruapuna infield, while Mostert was slapped with a penalty that tumbled him down the order.

One of those indirectly impacted was Brown, who admitted to being furious at the situation post-race.

The 2024 champion had a bird's eye view sitting right in behind the duelling Shell V-Power Ford and Mobil 1 Optus Toyota on the penultimate lap of 61-lap encounter, as Kostecki fired down the inside at Turn 2, a move that would've sealed the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

Kostecki and Mostert fronted up on the broadcast after the incident. Mostert later apologised, saying the outcome wasn't his intention. Post-race, Kostecki's engineer George Commins labelled the move as "unacceptably dangerous," while Walkinshaw TWG CEO Bruce Stewart believes there was "tit for tat" over Kostecki's initial move.

Alongside Brown, taking to his own Lucky Dogs podcast, Kostecki later claimed the move was "malicious."

"I was pretty irate with it after the race, it was a pretty average move I think by Chaz after [Kostecki's move at Turn 2]," said Brown on his Lucky Dogs podcast, which he co-hosts with Kostecki.

"I was talking to Cam [Waters] after, and he thought it was a bit rude what you did. I thought it probably was, when I watched back the opportunity was there, but I also think Chaz crowded a lot once you were in there.

"You'd already committed to the pass, and unfortunately in our car, once you commit and brake that little bit later than the car in front and you're filling that hole, even if Chaz keeps moving, you can't disappear.

"I didn't think any of it was too bad to be honest, I thought the racing was pretty cool, I was right behind and thought, 'This is pretty cool, I might pick up two positions if you two fire it off.'

"You've gone for a big move, Chaz has crowded down, all of that was fine in my point of view. You cut the grass a little bit, everyone got into each other, and even when he came out and doored you the first time, it's like whatever.

"He's let you know that he's unhappy, which we've seen happen, and maybe you shouldn't be able to do that so much because you can interlock wheels, but I didn't think it was too bad.

"The rest that went on, I don't think was on at all."

What followed was Mostert moving Kostecki off the road at high speed, and back into the path of the oncoming pack, including Brown, in frightening scenes.

Brown continued: "I came out of that corner, and you guys were just running into it, it was on, and I was like, 'This isn't going to end well.' So I pulled hard right and just took the normal line, but then [Kostecki] disappeared, I didn't know you were off the track.

"I've pretty much gone right and thought I'm going to switch Chaz back at [Turn] 4 because he's going to be on the inside, I don't even know where Brodie is, he's still on the track somewhere. And then as I turn into [Turn 3], I just see this Shell Mustang just coming backwards, and I'm like, 'Oh no, this isn't good.'

"I didn't know what to do at that stage, because I felt like if I turned in I was going to collect you, so I just went full right, go full bush and work it out. I bloody lost two spots."

Brown also questioned the weight of the penalty that was handed out, despite it being on the higher end of the scale of time penalties awarded for driving infringements, saying: "I don't even know if the penalty was enough for that to be honest for the crime. 30 seconds doesn't stop you from doing it again.

"I have two different thoughts. After the race I was quite angry because I was like, 'Far out, I nearly poleaxed you,' and it was nearly a huge crash that shouldn't have actually happened.

"I don't think it was warranted at all, so I was actually quite angry after the race because it was so unnecessary.

"People comment that everyone does it, everyone hits everyone and all this sort of stuff, well tell me the last time something like that has happened, tell me the last time that you've done that, Broc's done that."

Brown also revealed that he spoke with Mostert in the aftermath of the Christchurch finale, with the reigning champion expressing remorse for the outcome, something which he also did via the broadcast.

"The funny thing is we're good friends with Chaz, and at the end of the day I think if he could go back, he probably wouldn't do it again.

"I was speaking to him after, and he said, 'My plan was not the outcome that actually happened,' and you could tell.

"He was like, 'I didn't actually mean for that to happen,' but the problem is you've got to keep that all in check in that moment, that when somebody does hit you a little bit, you don't get angry enough to actually do what just happened. It could've been a monumental one after."

Brown also compared the penalty to the 25-point penalty handed out to Kostecki's rookie teammate Rylan Gray for his role in an opening lap pile-up in the same race.

For reference, through being demoted from fourth to 17th by virtue of his penalty, Mostert was effectively penalised 72 points for the Kostecki clash.

"I think that you have to give a penalty that in that moment, when you go to do something like that, you question the penalty," Brown continued.

"30 seconds, with the new format of the Finals System and all that we have, Chaz wasn't in the JR Trophy hunt, it's a big can of worms.

"It's not like the old championship where you get a 30 second penalty and it hurts your whole championship. He's probably going to be in the final 10 come the end of the year.

"It take it back to Rylan getting 25 points. I look at Rylan's incident, and I look at that and think it's a small mistake that a rookie made, no malice about it, just a bit of locked front and accidentally took out a few cars."

Kostecki, Brown and Mostert are second, ninth and 11th respectively heading to Tasmania on May 22-24.