PODCAST: Adderton calls out Supercars

Peter Adderton has launched a damning assessments of Supercars, claiming the category is stagnating – while insisting he will return to team ownership when the timing suits.

Speaking from Los Angeles in a wide-ranging conversation with Race for the Championship’s Mark Fogarty, following Supercars first ever Finals series, Adderton didn’t hold back.

The Boost Mobile and MobileX founder – who once headed a consortium that had a failed attempt to purchase Supercars – criticised the championship’s first-ever finals format, saying Broc Feeney had “every right” to feel robbed after dominating the season only to lose the title in a single race in WAU’s Chaz Mostert. Adderton argued that a season-long championship should “reward the best driver over the whole year,” not hinge on one finale.

He was equally disparaging of Supercars’ claims of growth, accusing the category of disingenuous attendance numbers and refusing to release full television ratings. “If you dig deep into the numbers, the TV ratings aren’t as high as they think… crowds are flat or declining,” he said. “You want five, 10, 15 per cent growth. They’re not even close.”

Adderton said Bathurst is the only event that stands apart, arguing it would draw the same crowd even if it were run independently of the championship. He also questioned the sport’s financial model, saying many events survive only through heavy taxpayer subsidies. Using Adelaide as an example, he claimed the widely touted economic benefit figures do not reflect the true return to the public.

The outspoken businessman dismissed suggestions he no longer has “skin in the game,” noting he has invested millions in the category over two decades and supported drivers including Feeney, Brodie Kostecki, Richie Stanaway, James Courtney, Greg Murphy and others. “To say I should be forgotten is narrow-minded,” he said. “It assumes I’m never coming back – which is a huge mistake.”

Adderton confirmed his intention to re-enter the sport with a team once he relocates permanently back to Australia, warning those who have written him off that “karma is a bitch.” He described his absence as temporary and said the sport represents “unfinished business.”

He also weighed into the looming broadcast shake-up, arguing Mark Skaife should move on while Neil Crompton deserves to stay. “If you’ve got to keep one, you keep Neil all day long,” he said, claiming fans overwhelmingly agree.

After more than 20 years of involvement, Adderton insists he will return – and remembers everyone who backed him, and everyone who didn’t.