Triple Eight could revert to two cars after negotiations to secure Simona de Silvestro appear to have fallen over in the final stages, Speedcafe.com has learned.
De Silvestro had been tipped to take over the vacant seat at the Brisbane outfit since Craig Lowndes announced he will retire from full-time Supercars racing at the end of the year.
Speedcafe.com understands an agreement was close to being reached for de Silvestro, who is contracted to Nissan Motorsport, which will change to Kelly Racing, for 2019, to join Triple Eight Race Engineering.
However, sources close to the negotiations have told this website that a late change of plans has seen a potential move for the driver diminish.
De Silvestro now looks set to remain at Nissan Motorsport for what would be her third and final year of her current contract originally penned with the Supercars category itself back in 2016.
Although the 30-year-old remains coy on her future telling Speedcafe.com there is “nothing to say yet” on her plans for 2019.
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Likewise Triple Eight boss Roland Dane remains tight-lipped on his team’s structure when asked if his options had narrowed for the third seat.
“You can talk all you want; we will see what happens,” Dane told Speedcafe.com.
Talk in the paddock at Sandown has linked Super2 driver Kurt Kostecki to the Racing Entitlements Contract currently owned by Triple Eight.
Kostecki has previously worked for the team as a mechanic and even carried out development work on the ZB Commodore, before leaving the squad to focus on his racing career at family team Kostecki Brothers Racing.
KBR has been interested in securing a REC to step up to the main game this year having completed two wildcard outings at Queensland Raceway and The Bend Motorsport Park with Kurt at the wheel.
“We don’t really know and we are taking it as it comes; right now the Super2 series is in the forefront of our minds and it is where our focus is at,” Kostecki told Speedcafe.com, when asked about his and his KBR team’s hopes of stepping up to the main game next year.
“I think next year will take care of itself; it is probably a bit early to say anything that is happening next year.
“A lot of people don’t know what they are doing.”
Kostecki has impressed in Super2 this season with the 20-year-old currently sixth in the standings.
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