Red Bull Ampol Racing’s incoming team principal Jamie Whincup has confirmed David Cauchi will depart the team at the season’s end.

Earlier this year Cauchi moved across the garage from the #88 of Whincup to the #97 of team-mate Shane van Gisbergen.

Now, the championship-winning engineer is set to leave Triple Eight Race Engineering to join Kelly Grove Racing as its team principal in 2022.

It marks the second such departure confirmation in as many days after news Whincup’s engineer Wes McDougall will also leave the team due to health and personal reasons.

“Cauchi did his apprenticeship with T8 starting I think at the end of 2007, so he’s been part of the furniture for a long time,” Whincup told Speedcafe.com.

“We’ve gone through a lot of experiences together which includes winning and losing.

“We thank him for his commitment and we understand that he wants to move on and wants to challenge himself in another way and we wish him all the best in his future role.”

Cauchi joined Triple Eight in 2007 as a data engineer.

In 2014, he stepped up to be Whincup’s race engineer, the pair winning the Supercars Championship that season.

They would win the title again in 2017 in an extraordinary conclusion to the season on the streets of Newcastle.

For Whincup, Cauchi’s departure is not only sad from a professional point of view, but personally too.

“Whenever you’ve worked with someone for a long time it’s always sad to see them move on for one reason or another,” said Whincup.

“Cauchi and I not only worked together for a long time but we’re actually good mates outside of the track as well.

“For me, personally, it’s going to be sad to see him move out of the state and down with the Mexicans but it is what it is and we wish him all the best.”

Five rounds remain in this year’s Repco Supercars Championship.

Whincup currently occupies second in the drivers’ championship behind team-mate van Gisbergen.