It ain't over until it's over: What we learned in 2025

You couldn't script some of the stuff we witnessed across 13 rounds and nearly 7000 kilometres of racing.

Two of the closest finishes ever. 18 different drivers on the podium. Multiple changes to The Finals standings in the closing laps in Bathurst. Multiple championship-changing moments. Supercars in 2025, truly, was box office.

The best touring car racers in the world turned up the heat this year, right from the get-go. Under the new format, we were guaranteed a final day showdown, but even then, you couldn't have predicted the rollercoaster we ultimately went on.

If 2025 was anything to go by, 2026 will be off the charts. So, what did we learn this year, and how could lay the platform for 2026? Supercars.com breaks down five key talking points from the wild season that was.

The Finals delivered

The Finals was big, bold and scary when it was first announced, and it was easy to slip into skepticism. However, you can't deny that the stakes rose dramatically, and the racing matched the intensity. Sport is at its best when there's drama to the very last moment, and there must be a winner and a loser. Scenes of Adelaide Sunday, with Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney fighting back tears for different reasons, truly helped you understand the emotions that drivers and teams are fighting. The Repco Sprint Cup gave drivers a chance to get their footing and make a statement. The enduros were their own beast. Come The Finals, and those in contention needed to perform, or risk suffering heartbreak. At each elimination, big names and teams tripped up, proving how fine the line is. When we say every race matters, we mean it.

Aggressive combat is back on the menu, but there is still a line

Scenes of the dramatic Broc Feeney/Cam Waters battle in Sydney set the tone for a wild season. Driving Standards Advisor Craig Baird was determined to see drivers sort it out on track, and for the most part, they did, leading to brilliant action. On the flip side, there is still a rule book, and while elbows were out, it didn't mean there were no consequences. After a hard-fought Finals Series, it will be fascinating to see how drivers start 2026.

Having two competitive cars won WAU the title

A lot of water passed under the bridge between 2002 and 2025 for Walkinshaw. In that time, how often did the team have two cars up the front to consistently challenge for championships? Not that often, especially since the Garth Tander/James Courtney partnership ended. Come 2025, Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood both exploded into form when it mattered most. Wood's pace was such, that had the cards fallen his way, he too could have won the championship. But the ability to execute plans such as Sandown, where Wood held off Will Brown to protect Mostert's win, gave Walkinshaw Andretti United the chance to win from the front.

Feeney on track to be one of the greats

At 23, Broc Feeney has 26 wins and 27 pole positions, all in just 122 starts. If he continues on that trend, he'll be in the top 10 in the all-time lists in no time. These numbers are no accident: Feeney is as sharp as a tack, both in and out of the car. Even then, some of the all-time greats waited years for their first championship or first Bathurst. He's on track to reset some records, but all he wants is a championship trophy and a Peter Brock Trophy. Watch out, 2026.

The next generation is taking over

There will be five rookies on the grid in 2026, amid a slew of retirements and exits in recent years. Say what you want about driver contracts, but it's clear that teams are continuing to recognise that the talent pool is rich, and if you miss the boat, you could miss out. Kai Allen's Penrite Racing deal came to life in its first season, the youngster qualifying for the Grand Final. Dick Johnson Racing didn't make the same mistake twice, pouncing on new Super2 champion Rylan Gray. 11 of the 24 drivers on the 2026 grid were born after 2000.

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