Team 18 reveals post-Bathurst personnel changes

A new-look Team 18 will tackle the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 after a "strategic restructure" was announced following a tough Bathurst.

Team 18 suffered race day heartbreak at the Repco Bathurst 1000, with Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso a late DNF after running out of fuel and stopping on lap 160.

Winterbottom was unable to rejoin the race following his stop as leader Shane van Gisbergen commenced the final lap.

Scott Pye/Warren Luff firmed for a top five before coming home in 17th due to a strategy miscue and a fuel miscalculation, which forced a lap 159 stop.

Winterbottom ran 11th and Pye 14th in the closing laps before both cars were forced into pit lane.

A week out from the Gold Coast event, in a statement, Team 18 confirmed Team Manager Bruin Beasley, #18 Race Engineer Manuel Sanchez and Data Engineer Julia McGarry have all departed the team.

Beasley joined last year, with Sanchez acting as Winterbottom’s engineer since 2019. McGarry joined the #20 crew in the off-season. The Team Manager role vacated by Beasley will be filled internally in the interim.

Saunders will skipper Winterbottom at the Gold Coast and Adelaide rounds. In June, Saunders led Jack Le Brocq to victory with Matt Stone Racing in Darwin while regular engineer Jack Bellotti was awaiting the birth of his child. A day earlier, Sanchez helped Winterbottom to Team 18's first win.

"Team 18 has announced a strategic restructure within the organisation ahead of the final two rounds of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship at the Gold Coast and Adelaide," a team statement reads.

"The team will introduce Matthew Saunders as the new engineer for Mark Winterbottom’s #18 DEWALT Racing Camaro for the Gold Coast. Saunders, who previously worked with the team in a full-time role in early 2020, engineered Jack Le Brocq to a race win with Matt Stone Racing in Darwin earlier this year, and brings a wealth of success in various series including Super2, TCR and GT racing.

"Rory Jackermis will continue his role as data engineer for the remainder of the season.

"As the team embraces change, it is with great appreciation that we bid farewell to Race Engineer Manuel Sanchez and Data Engineer Julia McGarry, whose contributions to the team have been invaluable. 

"In a separate development, Team Manager Bruin Beasley has departed the team, with his role to be filled internally for the time being. The team thanks Bruin for his contribution and wish him well in his future endeavours. 

"This restructure will empower the team to optimise their operation and position the team for a successful conclusion to the 2023 season and lay the groundwork for an even stronger campaign in 2024.

"Team 18 appreciates the continued support of their fans and partners, as the team gears up for the next round of the championship on 27-29 October at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500."

Winterbottom dropped from 11th to 15th in the standings due to the DNF, with Pye 17th with two rounds remaining.