Supercars news: ‘I can’t find a negative’- Drivers go all-in on new finals format set for 2025 and beyond

Supercars drivers have thrown their support behind the major format revamp that is set to kick off in 2025 where the championship will be decided in a cut-throat finals series.

The Sydney Swans and Melbourne Storm may beg to differ after running away with their minor premierships only to miss out on the chocolates after losing the games that mattered.

But Supercars officials and their touring car drivers are all in agreement that the best way to finish a season is with a cutthroat footy-style grand final.

That’s why Supercars is ditching its time-honoured system where the championship winner is decided by the driver who accumulates the most points during the season.

From 2025 onwards, the series will end with a razzle-dazzle three stage knockout series, where the last driver standing effectively gets the crown.

“It wasn’t broke but I think if you look at every major sport around the world, it evolves and we need to evolve as well,” Supercars CEO Shane Howard said.

“We’re no different to the Olympics, no different to what the footy codes are doing, no different to other major motorsport.”

Defying tradition and conventional wisdom that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ the decision to completely overhaul the Supercars calendar and championship structure comes with a risk.

Jamie Whincup is a fan of the changes. Picture: Getty Images

Already internationally renowned, with the series broadcast all over the world, Supercars is already a booming success but there’s a growing understanding that every sport needs a grandstand finish to thrive.

Under the existing Supercars systems, a dominant team can seal the title before the season is finished if they build a big enough points advantage, leading to races that are nothing more than glorified laps of honour.

But no longer. From 2025, a three-stage finals series, featuring just 10, then seven and finally four drivers will be used to decide the Supercars champion.

General manager Tim Edwards said the changes were designed to get more eyeballs watching the sport and he was certain this was what spectators wanted.

“At the end of the day, we’re in show business,” he said.

“The more people that watch the show, turn up to the show, it’s a win for everybody. So that’s our goal. We’re here to entertain people.”

Rather than oppose the changes, it was the teams and drivers themselves that asked Supercars to come up with a new and more exciting format.

By their own admission, what they got was more than they bargained for but they’re all on board with the wild changes, adamant that fairness is not being sacrificed for television ratings.

Chaz Mostert is a two-time Bathurst winner. Picture: Mark Horsburgh

“I think it’s really fair,” two-time Bathurst 1000 winner and self-confessed NRL fan Chaz Mostert said.

“If we get knocked out in the first stage of finals or the second stage, (it’s because) we didn’t put in a good enough performance like we did in the rest of the year to get ourselves there.

“You can only look at yourselves in that instance. If I got knocked out to stage one of the finals next year, I’d only be blaming myself and not anyone else.”

Four times Bathurst 1000 champ Jamie Whincup said whoever wins the series title in the end will definitely deserve it.

“I can’t find a negative, to be honest,” he said. “Any sport that doesn’t evolve eventually at some stage becomes uncompetitive.

“Supercars has done a great change changing the model but the best driver is still going to win.

“It’s not like we’re going to have a roughie going to come through at the end and win the championship. It’s going to open up more opportunities but still, the best teams and the best drivers will end up with the biggest trophy at the end.”

Originally published as Supercars news: ‘I can’t find a negative’- Drivers go all-in on new finals format set for 2025 and beyond