Mostert, 33, is preparing to move from Ford to Toyota next season, having confirmed his commitment to Walkinshaw Andretti United continues through 2026.
It’s the latest in a string of manufacturer moves for Mozzie, which began with a leap from Ford squad Tickford Racing to the then Holden-aligned WAU ahead of 2020.
Lowndes’ own switch from Holden to Ford almost 20 years earlier remains the most high-profile defection in the modern era of the sport.
It resulted in the driver receiving death threats from irate fans of Holden – a manufacturer that welcomed Lowndes back in 2010.
“I was nervous about changing for the first time, going from Ford to Holden when I went to Walkinshaws,” Mostert revealed on the Drivers Only Podcast.
“So I actually reached out to Lowndesy because I was like, well, ‘he’s done it before’ and I was like ‘what am I expecting to see?’
“He pretty much summed it up the best way, you’re going to lose 50 percent of the people who support you and are really core with the manufacturer they follow.
“And then you’re going to find 50 percent other ones, so try not to let it bother you and just be grateful for whoever was supporting you. He was really good for that side of things.”
Lowndes named Mostert as his likely heir apparent to become the category’s fan favourite when he retired from full-time driving at the end of 2018.
That was proven true last year as Mostert picked up the fan-voted gong at the end-of-season awards, suggesting recent manufacturer moves have not hurt his popularity.
Mostert said the most recent shift, through WAU’s switch from Holden to Ford in 2023, was rougher on the team than him personally.
“A team changing manufacturers I feel like is even more huge, especially being Walkinshaw,” said Mostert of a team that had a long history as Holden’s factory squad until the end of 2016.
“I think it was harsher on the team, definitely from their fanbase.”
WAU’s switch from Ford to Toyota is unlikely to cause that sort of backlash, although how much support there will be for the Japanese brand remains to be seen.
“I feel like it’s somewhere in the middle, people are excited to see another powerful manufacturer come in and hopefully it just goes up,” said Mostert.
Lowndes meanwhile has opted against another manufacturer switch as he faces the final years of his career as a co-driver.
The 50-year-old is set to split with Triple Eight as it switches to Ford for 2026, ending a 21-year association with the team in favour of keeping ties with GM.
GM is believed to have shown interest in snaring Mostert as it rebuilds its Supercars stocks amid Triple Eight’s defection.
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