Team 18 desperate to send Winterbottom out on top

Mark Winterbottom is now preparing for his final full-time starts for the foreseeable future, and Team 18 boss Adrian Burgess is determined to make the last hurrah count.

Winterbottom is set to transition into co-driving next season, with the 2015 champion to be replaced at Team 18 next year by Anton De Pasquale.

In the lead-up to the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, Winterbottom announced he will not race full-time next season, and teased he will have more news “very shortly.”

Winterbottom left the door open for a “fairytale” Ford comeback, with the 43-year-old already linked to former team Tickford Racing.

For now, Team 18 has ‘Frosty’ on its books for one more round, with Winterbottom claiming the team’s maiden win in 2023, and podiums at the Grand Prix and Darwin this year.

When asked on Supercars.com’s Schick Cool Down Lap podcast about extra motivation for Adelaide, Team 18 Team Principal Burgess said: "100 percent it does.

"You know, he's been a fantastic ambassador for the team. He's got a lot of friends here still. He's got a massive fan base still behind him. It's a shame that he's not carrying on.

“But look, age catches up with everybody. All these guys, there's a few of them that are coming to the ends of their main game careers.

"But yeah, 100 percent we're motivated to go to Adelaide, try and do the best thing we can. Let's get him on the podium one more time with the team.

"I hope he has a great career after that in co-driver land. But yeah, we wish him well and we want to send him off in style.”

Winterbottom sits 15th in the standings heading to the VAILO Adelaide 500 on November 14-17.