De Pasquale confirms surprise Team 18 deal
Anton De Pasquale confirmed to join Team 18 from 2025
Announcement comes minutes after Mark Winterbottom confirmed exit via social media
De Pasquale to reunite with former teammate David Reynolds
Team 18 have announced that Anton De Pasquale will replace the outgoing Mark Winterbottom from 2025 on a multi-year deal.
The news comes lass than an hour after Winterbottom shared on social media that he would not be driving for Charlie Schwerkolt’s team in 2025.
De Pasquale will reunite with former Erebus Motorsport teammate David Reynolds at Team 18, the pair having previously been teammates from 2018 to 2020.
Confirmation of De Pasquale’s signing means there is now officially at least one seat available at Dick Johnson Racing, with Will Davison’s contract also expiring at season’s end.
De Pasquale will now drive a Chevrolet Camaro for the first time in his career, and will also be behind the wheel of a General Motors product for the first time since 2020.
The 28-year-old has nine wins and 16 pole positions since making his Supercars debut in 2018, and finished third at last year’s Bathurst 1000 with Tony D’Alberto.
The Victorian is excited to start the new chapter in his career, and is ready to take Team 18 towards the top of the Supercars Championship.
“I’m super pumped to be joining Team 18 in 2025,” said De Pasquale.
“It’s a really exciting next step for me in my career and I’m looking forward to progressing with Charlie, Adrian and the team and being a part of what they’re building for the future.
“Looking forward to chasing that common goal and getting stuck into it next year!”
Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt has also welcomed news of the major coup for Team 18, saying that he is what the team needs to progress further forward.
“It’s exciting to have Anton De Pasquale join the team next year,” said Schwerkolt.
“Anton’s a clear standout in the next generation of drivers coming through the sport. He’s a proven winner and has what it takes to be a future champion of the sport.
“It’s great to have Dave and Anton back together and it’s an exciting driver lineup to take us through our next growth phase.”
Schwerkolt also thanked 2015 Supercars champion Winterbottom for his services to the team during his tenure at the team that started in 2019.
“I’d like to thank Mark for his contribution to the team. We have shared some great successes together, including our first pole position and race win, and have enjoyed every step of the journey together along the way."
