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Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan has broken his silence a week after Brodie Kostecki made the shock decision to sit out the Supercars season-opener.
Although the team has not confirmed as much yet, it’s widely believed Kostecki will not race for the team again this year and may not race at all in 2024.
Wide World of Sports understands legal intervention is underway to negotiate an early exit from his contract.
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Speaking to motorsport outlet V8 Sleuth, Ryan said it was business as usual at the Melbourne-based outfit and sought to cool talk by former Triple Eight Race Engineering boss Roland Dane of a toxic environment at Erebus.
“We’re just supporting each other because we know the truth and we know some of the stuff in the background is just so blown out of proportion,” said Ryan.
“So we’re just bonding together like we did particularly last year.”
Kostecki hasn’t been the only high-profile departure from Erebus in recent months.
Former teammate Will Brown parted ways with the team to join Triple Eight Race Engineering where he replaced NASCAR-bound Shane van Gisbergen.
Erebus has remained relatively stable beyond its double driver departures, although Ryan himself is understood to have been let go by the team only to be re-hired shortly afterwards.
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A request by Wide World of Sports to speak with team owner Betty Klimenko was denied by Erebus.
The team’s leading engineers George Commins and Tom Moore have remained with the squad despite the loss of their star drivers.
Jack Le Brocq is contracted for the season in its entirety while Todd Hazelwood has been brought in on a round-by-round basis.
Curiously, another signing just days after Kostecki’s exit would suggest Hazelwood is locked in for the full 12-round campaign.
Jayden Ojeda has been with the team during pre-season testing and is expected to co-drive with Hazelwood. David Russell will co-drive alongside Le Brocq.
“We have got the same pit crew – we had one guy leave just because he wanted to spend more time with his young family – and we had another guy return who’d left at the start of last year,” Ryan said of the team’s make-up.
“The rest of the team is stable and has been for a few years now. Jack and Todd have been great so far. At shakedown yesterday the cars ran faultlessly and they were both super-fast, which is exciting.”
Southern Supercars teams tested on Wednesday at Winton Motor Raceway for the first time this year.
