Toyota will make its long awaited entry into the championship with five cars across Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing.

Chaz Mostert’s 2025 title victory aboard a WAU Ford Mustang means the Japanese marque will boast the coveted #1 plate in its debut year.

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.

The 2023 champion expects the Toyotas to be “15th or worse for the first couple of rounds” and “struggle for three quarters of the season, or half the season”.

Kostecki, who was a surprise visitor at the US wind tunnel during homologation testing last December, expects the Toyota V8 engine to be the initial stumbling block.

“I think the car turned out well aero-wise and stuff, but I think the engine is quite far behind, from what I understand,” he said.

“I reckon they’re going to have a pretty rough start… but they’ll finish the year OK.”

‘Different beast’: Heimgartner’s take on Toyota after first test

The Supercars Finals format could therefore play into Toyota’s hands, as it did for the WAU Mustangs in 2025.

Kostecki qualified his comments on the basis of “third-hand information” and joked that “knowing my luck recently they’ll probably come out at the first round and flog everyone.”

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.

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.

“I 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,” he said.

“It was pretty nice of Supercars to let me go have a look.

“It was a big process. Trying to make three cars the same or similar within what they call a parity box is quite hard.”

Supercars details aero changes to Camaro, Mustang

Kostecki affirmed the results of the early testing in the tunnel meant the Mustang became the baseline for the Camaro and Supra to match.

The Mustang had undergone changes ahead of the test in what Supercars described as a bid to “commonise some areas that aren’t really seen from the public under the car”.

“I was like, whatever, as long as they’re fine for this year,” said Kostecki.

The 2026 Supercars Championship kicks off at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 20-22.