DAVID Reynolds has dubbed the saga which has sidelined 2023 Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki as “shameful”.
Having already missed the season-opening Bathurst 500, Kostecki won’t be on the grid at this weekend’s MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint, run in support of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Instead, Todd Hazelwood will continue racing Erebus Motorsport’s championship-winning #99 entry, while Kostecki’s short-term future remains unresolved amid legal talks aimed at extricating him from his contract.
Kostecki’s absence from Albert Park is all the more notable given it’s the circuit where he chalked up his first and second Supercars Championship race wins 12 months ago to take out the Larry Perkins Trophy and kickstart his title tilt.
Reynolds has experience with contractual controversies, from his Kelly Racing exit to join Ford Performance Racing in 2012, to cutting ties with Erebus one year into a decade-long deal at the end of 2020.
The now Team 18 driver weighed in on the Kostecki matter when prompted while appearing on podcast On The Grid.
“It’s shocking and it’s shameful to watch the current champion sit on the sideline,” said Reynolds.
“It’s just bizarre. I feel for him.
“It’s a sticky situation and I don’t know what happened but I hope he comes back next year or whatever it will be, I hope he comes back and joins the sport because what he did last year was very, very impressive.
“He is going to be missed.”
Supercars action at Albert Park starts with Practice 1 at 11:25am AEDT tomorrow.
