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Chaz Mostert’s penalty for his clash with Brodie Kostecki has pushed him outside the Supercars finals positions with seven rounds remaining.

Chaz Mostert's clash with Brodie Kostecki in Christchurch could yet carry significant consequences for the Supercars finals race, after the incident pushed the reigning champion outside the top-10 cut-off.

Mostert received a 30-second penalty for contact that spun Kostecki off the track during Sunday's final race, dropping him to 17th in the results.

Kostecki finished 18th and surrendered the championship lead, although he avoided further damage in what could have been a far more serious incident.

The collision unfolded as Kostecki attempted to pass Mostert while chasing the Jason Richards Trophy, awarded across the New Zealand rounds in Taupo and Christchurch.

Mostert later explained that wheel-to-wheel contact unsettled his car, sending it sideways and ultimately forcing Kostecki into a spin across the circuit.

Despite the relatively modest penalty, the fallout may extend beyond the race result.

Mostert slipped from seventh to 11th in the standings and now sits 23 points outside the finals positions, with seven rounds remaining in the regular season.

The shift tightens an already competitive finals battle and raises the prospect of a notable absence if Mostert fails to recover.

Meanwhile, Kai Allen emerged as a major beneficiary from the Christchurch round, climbing to fifth in the championship and moving 133 points clear of Mostert.

Mostert later acknowledged the incident and apologised, stating it was not his intention and expressing regret to Kostecki and his team.

Race winner Matt Payne said the situation could have escalated, noting that Kostecki's trajectory across the track and limited visibility created a dangerous scenario.

Kostecki's camp stopped short of strong public criticism, although his engineer described the incident as unacceptably dangerous.