Reigning Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki has broken his silence following his ugly split with Erebus Motorsport, admitting his career is at “a crossroads”.
Kostecki was speaking at the Motorsport Australia gala in Melbourne, where he was formally honoured by the sport’s governing body for winning the 2023 championship.
Having been silent since news of the split broke nearly a fortnight ago, Kostecki said he’s in “general good health” but admitted he’s still unsure of what his future looks like.
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“It is no secret that I have come to a crossroads with my 2023 Supercars team and ongoing discussions mean that I cannot say any more on that matter at this time – and I thank you for appreciating my position,” he said on stage.
“What I can say is that I have been overwhelmed by the support from some quality individuals and sponsors in the industry who have offered their unwavering support.
“I also have to say a massive thankyou to the thousands of fans, from both sides of the fence, who have sent me personal messages of support, checked on my wellbeing, or just given me another thumbs up on my title and wished me all the best.”
He also said he has a “long-term commitment” to Australian motorsport, suggesting a move to NASCAR for 2025 – rumours of which had circulated since mid-2023 – is off the cards.
Erebus has only confirmed Kostecki will not be behind the wheel at the season-opening Bathurst 500 next weekend, his seat to be kept warm by Todd Hazelwood.
It’s widely believed the 26-year-old will not step into an Erebus car again, and legal negotiations are underway to extract him from the final year of his contract.
Former HRT boss Jeff Grech last week called on the sport to release the spare Teams Racing Charter, which could allow another team to field an extra car for Kostecki to defend his championship.
Grech told Wide World of Sports sponsors would likely jump at the chance to be associated with the champ, given the high-profile nature of the split.
Kostecki’s comments about sponsors offering “unwavering support” seemed to back up those suggestions.
Later in the gala, Kostecki was also awarded the prestigious Peter Brock Medal, which “recognises outstanding driver ability and commitment to the positive endorsement of motorsport within the greater community”.
Previous winners include Kostecki’s former teammate Will Brown, as well as Craig Lowndes, Mark Webber, and Anton de Pasquale.
Kostecki said winning the championship and joining the likes of Peter Brock, Dick Johnson, Allan Moffat, Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen was “quite surreal and a position that is not lost on me”.
“To say that 2023 was an interesting year would be an understatement.
“We had a brand-new Gen3 car to work with and I lived and breathed it in an effort to understand what made it work and how we could make our cars faster than anyone else.
“In the end, the hard work and more than a decade of personal commitment to learning my craft paid off and I came away with the drivers’ championship and I helped contribute to a Supercars teams’ championship with my good friend and teammate Will Brown.
“It is great to share this trophy with all the mechanics and crew and the other hard-working members of our team at track or back at the shop.”
Practice for the Bathurst 500 begins on February 23.