The appointment would be the latest development in the engineering ranks at at PremiAir Racing, following the arrival of Ludo Lacroix and the stepping away of Dr Geoff Slater.

De Rosa’s signing would promise stability on the #23 side of the PremiAir garage after Slade had four different race engineers over the course of the 2023 season.

Phillip Di Fazio was to have engineered the #23 Chevrolet Camaro but parted from the Arundel team after the Newcastle 500 season-opener, reportedly due to clashes with his commitments as Technical Director of Asian-based GT3 outfit HubAuto Racing.

Either of Blake Smith or Rhys Lenegan subsequently filled the breach until Romy Mayer, a mid-year arrival at PremiAir, become the regular in the latter stages of the season.

Slade and De Rosa were the Blanchard Racing Team’s foundation driver-engineer duo when it branched out as an independent team in 2021.

They had two years together before the former moved to PremiAir, with the latter departing BRT midway through last year.

The Box Hill-based squad had punched above its weight during the Slade-De Rosa days, when it was a single-car operation.

The Italian engineer also helped Anton De Pasquale become hot property when they worked together at Erebus Motorsport.

In fact, it is thought that De Rosa was close to joining PremiAir last year before electing to stay put for what turned out to be a matter of months longer.

Should he indeed do so now, it increases the likelihood that Lacroix will be deployed as Golding’s Race Engineer.

The Frenchman’s role is yet to be specified by his new team, and the departure of Slater – a Bathurst 1000, Bathurst 12 Hour, and 24 Hours of Daytona winner – leaves a vacancy on Car #31.

Slater had most recently been Director of Engineering at PremiAir, but was also Golding’s Race Engineer until Simon Hodge was brought in on secondment from Triple Eight’s GT3 programme in time for last year’s enduros.

Slade and Golding will test at Queensland Raceway in early-February.