Fresh from clinching the 2025 Supercars championship, driver Chaz Mostert and his Walkinshaw Andretti United team face no off-season break. Their next race starts now: the fight to win again with the new Toyota GR Supra in 2026.
From Championship Glory to Supra Development
The chequered flag on the 2025 season fell just 82 days before the 2026 campaign begins. For the newly crowned champion, the work is already underway. Five Toyota GR Supras will be on the grid next year, with WAU fielding two cars. In a nod to the team's Holden factory past, Mostert's reigning champion status will see his car carry the prestigious No.1, while rising star Ryan Wood will use his personal No.2.
Toyota Australia's vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, made the team's ambition clear ahead of the season's penultimate race in Adelaide. "We'd love nothing more than for them to win this so that we have the No.1 on the Toyota Supra next year," Hanley stated. He confirmed that at one minute past midnight on Sunday night after the final race, the focus for Mostert, Wood, and the Brad Jones Racing team shifts entirely to the Supra program.
Testing, Timelines, and Parity Politics
The development timetable has been exceptionally tight, with some WAU staff even missing Mostert's championship celebrations to keep the project on track. A recent shakedown at Toyota's Altona test track got the program back on course after an earlier engine issue, and the Supra has already taken its first passengers around the Adelaide street circuit.
The program intensifies this week with a second prototype, featuring 3D-printed aerodynamic parts, undergoing wind tunnel testing in the United States alongside the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. "That may or may not set some more challenges but we're well and truly equipped and ready to take on those challenges," Hanley added.
As the homologation team, WAU has been juggling 2025 title contention with mediating talks between Toyota and Supercars officials, even dealing with an early complaint in Adelaide that the Supra was too loud. Team principal Carl Faux acknowledges the critical need for parity from the start, wanting to avoid the headaches seen with previous-generation Mustangs. The goal is a "solid and reliable" car first, with podiums and wins the target for year one.
Driver Expectations and a Tougher Car
Despite the challenges, drivers are optimistic. Brad Jones Racing's Andre Heimgartner anticipates the "biggest difference" will be in the power delivery of the Supra's 5.2-litre quad-cam V8 compared to the Camaro's 5.7-litre push-rod engine. Teammate Macaulay Jones agrees the engine will be tricky to perfect but is excited by the Supra's sleek, slippery styling and how it will feel through the steering wheel.
For Mostert and Wood, their experience with the Mustang's similar quad-cam V8 could provide a smoother transition. Faux believes his "awesome drivers" will adapt quickly, with the team focused on tuning the new car and powertrain to their preferences.
A key design focus for WAU has been improving the Supra's resilience and repairability compared to the current Mustang, aiming for a touring car that can better withstand the inevitable contact with walls. "Round 1 next year we'll find out, won't we?" Faux remarked.
Toyota's Hanley points to the team's relentless effort at the Bathurst 1000—where both cars suffered heartbreak—as proof they have the right partner. "They don't give in and they keep going and going and going," he said, emphasising that the will to learn and respond under pressure is as important as the will to win.
