Whincup eyeing overseas switch

The six-time Supercars champion has focussed almost solely on the Aussie series since first joining it back in 2003, resisting the temptation to follow a number of other Supercars drivers into GT or long-distance racing.

He hasn’t even competed in the popular Bathurst 12 Hour event, although that will change next February when he lines up in a Maranello Motorsport Ferrari alongside Triple Eight stablemate Craig Lowndes.

Red Bull Racing Australia team-mate Shane van Gisbergen, meanwhile, dovetails all sorts of motor racing with his Supercars programme, including a title-winning Blancpain campaign with McLaren this season, and a new drifting programme with T8 itself.

After topping practice for the Bathurst 1000 today, Whincup opened up on his own ambitions outside of Supercars, declaring that he’ll retire within the next seven years and look at competing overseas.

“I won’t race a Supercar forever. I won’t be 40 years old, racing full-time,” he said.

“I’d like to end a little bit earlier and go and experience all the tracks and all the other categories all over the world. I’m looking forward to that, but certainly not in the next couple of years.”

Prodrive Racing’s Chaz Mostert was also quizzed over his future plans, revealing he’d be open to a DTM switch, but only once he’s achieved what he wants to achieve in Australia.

“I’ve got a lot more to achieve in Supercars before I look at going overseas,” he said. “I’ve always had interest in DTM and stuff like that, but I won’t go unless I’ve accomplished enough first.”