EREBUS Motorsport boss Barry Ryan has opened up on Will Brown’s impending departure from the team.
Brown will next year switch to Erebus’ archrivals Triple Eight, but still has five rounds with Erebus as he and the team chase their maiden Supercars Championship titles.
Speaking on Friday afternoon at Tailem Bend, Ryan gave an insight into life after news broke of Brown’s 2024 move.
“I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed because we have put a lot of effort into Will but like I said to the boys today, you sleep on it for a bit,” he said.
CONFIRMED: Erebus announces Le Brocq signature
MORE: MSR’s target for Le Brocq replacement
“He’s gone to a brand. We’re the best team in pitlane at the moment so he hasn’t gone to a better team, he has gone to a better brand.
“So we need to do more on our brand and make sure we get to a point where we are like Triple Eight and we have won multiple championships, we have got big brands behind us which we have.
“We have just got to tick a few more boxes that makes the drivers stay.
“It’s hard to argue, Will has made a personal decision and good on him, he could be there for 10 years because that’s the history of Triple Eight, they have drivers for a long time.
“As selfish as you might feel it is on Will’s behalf, Betty (Klimenko, team owner) has got a beautiful heart and she has made a decision to let him go so we all move on.
“He’s still 100 percent committed to winning races for us.
“He hates Triple Eight as much as anyone right now because he is with Erebus, so he wants to beat those guys as much as we do, and at the end of the year we’ll shake hands and make sure we hate him next year and we keep beating him.”
Ryan ruled out giving preferential treatment to Brodie Kostecki, who is staying in 2024 – saying, “we want to win the championship, I don’t care who it is” – before doubling down on the emotions attached to Brown’s exit.
“Imagine you have got kids and your kid comes up to you and goes, ‘you know that family you hate up the road? I’m going to go and live with them’. That’s how it feels,” said Ryan.
“I can deal with it, but that’s how it feels. I’m gutted. He’s like my little brother and it’s like he has moved down the road.
“We will get on with it professionally, 100 percent, and we’ll always be mates… everyone in pitlane is my enemy, that’s the only way I can deal with racing and stuff and make sure that our team is the best team in pitlane.
“He’s going to the enemy next year but this year he’s our mate, so we’re going to press on like nothing has happened.
“He’s a fun kid to have around. He’s in the garage today and they’re all having fun with him. It’s the same team it was when we left Sydney, just unfortunately he is not going to be here next year.” Repco Supercars Championship action at The Bend kicks off tomorrow morning.
