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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImage: Richard Gresham <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImage: Richard Gresham
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Toyota will make its long awaited entry into the championship with five cars across Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing.<\/p>\n
Chaz Mostert\u2019s 2025 title victory aboard a WAU Ford Mustang means the Japanese marque will boast the coveted #1 plate in its debut year.<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking on his Lucky Dogs Podcast, Dick Johnson Racing Ford star Kostecki tipped the new player to initially struggle against the Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro opposition.<\/p>\n The 2023 champion expects the Toyotas to be \u201c15th or worse for the first couple of rounds\u201d and \u201cstruggle for three quarters of the season, or half the season\u201d.<\/p>\n Kostecki, who was a surprise visitor at the US wind tunnel during homologation testing last December<\/a>, expects the Toyota V8 engine to be the initial stumbling block.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the car turned out well aero-wise and stuff, but I think the engine is quite far behind, from what I understand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon they\u2019re going to have a pretty rough start\u2026 but they\u2019ll finish the year OK.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Different beast\u2019: Heimgartner\u2019s take on Toyota after first test<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Supercars Finals format could therefore play into Toyota\u2019s hands, as it did for the WAU Mustangs in 2025.<\/p>\n Kostecki qualified his comments on the basis of \u201cthird-hand information\u201d and joked that \u201cknowing my luck recently they\u2019ll probably come out at the first round and flog everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n The 28-year-old will this year line up for his second season aboard a Mustang following his switch from GM squad Erebus Motorsport to DJR.<\/p>\n Kostecki was at the forefront of parity complaints last year and thanked Supercars for allowing him to observe the tunnel testing while holidaying in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent four or five hours there and got to see all the cars in motion on the tunnel and I got to take a tour of the tunnel as well, which was pretty cool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was pretty nice of Supercars to let me go have a look.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a big process. Trying to make three cars the same or similar within what they call a parity box is quite hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Supercars details aero changes to Camaro, Mustang<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kostecki affirmed the results of the early testing in the tunnel meant the Mustang became the baseline for the Camaro and Supra to match.<\/p>\n The Mustang had undergone changes ahead of the test in what Supercars described as a bid to \u201ccommonise some areas that aren\u2019t really seen from the public under the car\u201d.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI was like, whatever, as long as they\u2019re fine for this year,\u201d said Kostecki.<\/p>\n The 2026 Supercars Championship kicks off at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 20-22.<\/p>\n
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