Coulthard joins Team Sydney after DJR split

Coulthard had been a part of the DJR Team Penske since 2016, scoring eight wins and helping the Ford squad secure three teams’ titles.

However, it was announced in October that both Coulthard and teammate Scott McLaughlin will leave DJR after 2020, as Will Davison and ex-Erebus driver Anton de Pasquale form an all-new line-up.

It has now been revealed that Coulthard will switch to the fledgling Team Sydney outfit next year, taking over the #19 entry from Davison's older brother Alex.

Team Sydney has also bolstered its technical line-up by signing Geoffrey Slater. Slater had been an integral part of what was formerly known as the Tekno outfit since 2011, helping it achieve a Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour win in 2016.

He has spent the last few years at BMW Team RLL in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but will return to Australia next year amid strong speculation that BMW will downscale its M8 programme to just the endurance races.

“Joining Local Legends Team Sydney is an exciting opportunity for myself, I look forward to representing Local Legends, the city of Sydney and playing my part in the development of their Supercar programme,” said Coulthard.

“I have a long standing relationship with the Webb’s, Jonathon and I have competed against one another since 2003 in various campaigns. Jonathon, Geoffrey and I have a clear direction for the growth of the team and we are committed for the long haul. ”

Team Sydney managing director Webb added: “I am excited to announce Fabian Coulthard is joining Team SYDNEY, his vast experience will enhance our efforts in moving forward within our extremely competitive Championship.

“I’d like to welcome Dr Geoffrey Slater back to the Team Sydney Tekno family in the position of Team Manager, Technical. Geoffrey has been a pivotal player in the development of Tekno since its inception in 2011. 

“With Geoffrey, Tekno achieved multiple race wins including the 2016 Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12hr, as well as placing second in the 2014 Supercars Championship with SVG.”

Team Sydney finished 11th in the 2020 standings, with Chris Pither recording the outfit’s best result of the result with fifth at Hidden Valley.

Although Team Sydney is yet to announce Coulthard’s teammate for next season, Pither is the front-runner to retain his seat thanks to his backing from Coca-Cola.

The news of Coulthard’s move leaves just a handful of seats remaining on the 2021 Supercars grid. Kelly Racing and Erebus have a yet-to-be-confirmed seat each, while Tickford could still continue with four cars next year should it be able to lease or buy a Racing Entitlements Contract to replace the one Phil Munday sold to Brad Jones Racing.

David Reynolds is widely-tipped to move from Erebus to Kelly Racing to replace the now-retired Rick Kelly, while Brodie Kostecki is set to take Reynold’s place at Erebus.

Thomas Randle, meanwhile, is expected to secure a full-time graduation to Supercars should Tickford be able to secure that fourth REC.