De Pasquale was a high-profile mover in the silly season, exiting DJR after four years and signing with Team 18 for 2025.
He arrived at the famous Ford team in 2021 as, effectively, a replacement for three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin amid an incredible run of form for DJR.
However that form didn’t continue with Triple Eight regaining its position as the powerhouse squad, led by Shane van Gisbergen, in 2021 as DJR transitioned into its post-Penske era.
With DJR’s form also patchy in the Gen3 era, De Pasquale scored a total of eight wins for the team during his stint – far from disastrous, but short of the high expectations held by many for the partnership.
Morris has worked closely with De Pasquale for many years and has been a great advocate for the driver, particularly during his time in the Supercars system.
Speaking on the KTM Summer Grill, Morris admitted that he’s unsure why the DJR/De Pasquale union didn’t provide the expected success.
However he is backing De Pasquale to flourish in a new environment.
“I don’t know exactly why,” Morris said when asked why De Pasquale’s DJR stint didn’t pan out.
“I know it’s not his driving. I think Anton’s a phenomenal driver.
“If you look at where [Will Davison] was and Anton was, they’re both not achieving what they needed to achieve. So some big changes in that team [are coming] to try and get the recipe right.
“But that’s not stuff we’ve [never] seen before, like Joey Logano getting let go by [Joe Gibbs Racing] and landing at Penske, and next thing, he’s won three titles. Sometimes it’s just a change environment and mixing up different things to see what you need.
“I think he had to make a move, and he’s made it, and it’s up to him to get the job done. So [there’s] a lot of pressure on Anton, but I’m confident he can get it done.”
For more with Paul Morris watch the full episode of the KTM Summer Grill below.
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