Webb: 'We'll be contenders in 2016'
TEKNO Autosports will continue to run as a single car, Triple Eight customer team for 2016 - that's the word from team boss Jonathon Webb at the Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix.
Last week the shock announcement was made that star driver Shane van Gisbergen would shift to Triple Eight for 2016. Roland Dane will run a third car in his group - the only way to snatch up van Gisbergen and keep his current dominant line-up of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.
With TEKNO running as a customer team of Triple Eight, plenty assumed the team would be absorbed - but Webb reiterated that would not be the case and that the small team would continue to be a Championship contender next season.
"Other than a driver change, everything is going to continue on for 2016 at this stage," Webb told v8supercars.com.au
"Our plans aren't going to change a whole lot ... we've got plenty of time and I'm still confident we'll be a force to be reckoned with in '16, no matter what we do."
The move has blown the driver market wide open. Though the three biggest names who were off-contract at the end of 2015 are signed - all with Triple Eight! - the TEKNO opening means a competitive seat available.
TEKNO finished second in the drivers' Championship with van Gisbergen at the wheel last year, came tantalisingly close to winning the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and appears a pathway into the Triple Eight fold.
Webb said the queries came hard and fast minutes after the announcement and he was not concerned about being able to find the right person.
"I think within 15 minutes after the article went out on V8 Supercars there were SMSs, phone calls, everything and it's been much the same since," Webb said.
"I've taken notes, written down names and numbers. But March is chaos for us - we're just off the back of Adelaide, here, and then Tassie, with a week turnaround to that.
"So I've basically said to everyone, and to the guys internally, we're not in a hurry to do anything.
"We'll get through these events in March, do the best we can to put on a good show, and hopefully we'll sit down, take a breath and see what sort of options there are.
"Even then we've got a reasonable amount of time to make a decision, so certainly not going to rush into something."
While Webb admitted he wasn't surprised Dane wanted van Gisbergen for his ultimate driver line-up, he was shocked with the timing of the announcement.
"I think the fact that he's going there isn't a massive shock - the timing, no doubt about it. It's earlier than what we're used to. But it is what it is, and now looking at it, it's probably the best thing that has happened because it's given us time to work [it out]...
"From our side we're disappointed to lose Shane, but at the same [time] I'd be more disappointed if he was going anywhere but to Red Bull and Triple Eight. Other than us they're obviously the biggest championship contenders out there."
While there's still work to be done, the opportunity to 'group' with the three car Triple Eight entry seems like a strong possibility.
"We're penciled in for TEKNO to be the supportive fourth, but we're still a little way away to working out how all of that plays out, if at all."
Van Gisbergen has qualified fifth for today's first race, and won three of the four sprints at last year's Australian Grand Prix event.
