Lowndes’ official announcement says little about the future beyond stating his days as a professional driver are not over.
It’s widely understood that Lowndes’ decision is largely about sticking with General Motors and not jumping ship back to Ford.
Lowndes started his career with GM, has deep relationships within the group and is an ambassador for its brands including GMSV and AC Delco.
The fan friendly Lowndes’ decision not to return to Ford and his apparent desire to race on is an incredible boost for GM.
But where will he fit into the company’s Supercars structure in 2026? This part is currently unclear.
GM is in the process of determining what its Supercars operations will look like in its own post-Triple Eight era.
There is an apparent effort to have a centralised system, which includes current Triple Eight tech chief Jeromy Moore at GM itself, and its teams working closely together.
However, all signs also point to PremiAir Racing getting the green light to be the homologation squad and effectively lead the way.
Triple Eight founder Roland Dane, who cut his last tie with Triple Eight at the end of 2024, has advocated for PremiAir and appears a key player in GM’s manoeuvrings.
PremiAir already boasts several ex-Triple Eight staff, including team manager Stephen Robertson and technical chief Ludo Lacroix.
Whether Supercheap Auto moves with Lowndes to his new destination within the GM family is unclear although thought to be a possibility.
The parts retailer’s sponsorship of Triple Eight, which includes branding on the Red Bull cars and the Lowndes-led wildcard program, is up at the end of this season.
Lowndes had in January expressed a desire to remain with Triple Eight for at least two more years, having long planned to retire with the team.
Triple Eight’s decision to return to Ford, however, changed the game, and his exit from the squad is one of several aftereffects being felt from the bombshell.
The team has now lost Lowndes, Moore and engine builder Ken McNamara, who will not add a Ford program as Triple Eight had originally planned.
Triple Eight’s Ford move appears to have fired up GM, with more news of its plans likely to come sooner rather than later.
