The Supercars finals system is under the spotlight. The V8 supercars final series raises questions about how far teams should go for a driver to win.
From my perspective, situations like this are an expected part of motorsport when multiple drivers within the same team are competing for the ultimate prize.
We seen last year the Wood and Feeney incident, and the latest debate surrounding Mostert and Wood has once again highlighted the challenges created by the finals format.
In a team environment, the bigger picture often matters more than an individual result. Teams invest heavily in their drivers, and when a championship is on the line, it is understandable that management will make decisions designed to maximize its chances of success.
Allowing a teammate through might not sit well with fans who want to see every position fought for on the track, but team orders are hardly unique to Supercars. They are a familiar part of many team based sports, particularly when the stakes are high. You only have to look at the F1 to see this happen regularly throughout the season. The Aussies would remember plenty of Oscar Piastri situations last year.
The bigger question is whether the finals format itself is creating the problem.
If Supercars wants to prevent teams from manipulating race positions to influence the championship outcome, perhaps it needs to reconsider whether a finals system is the right approach.
Team orders are difficult to eliminate when teams are competing for a common goal. As long as the format rewards certain outcomes over others, teams will look for ways to give themselves an advantage within the rules.
Personally, I have never been a fan of the finals series. I would rather see a championship decided through consistent performance across the season than a format that can encourage these situations.
Discussion on finals format
Therefore, teams will do what they believe gives them the best chance of winning. If Supercars does not want team orders becoming a major talking point, perhaps the solution is to scrap the finals format altogether.
What do you think? Are team orders simply part of motorsport, or has the Supercars finals system created a problem that needs fixing?
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