Triple Eight announces engineering changes

Red Bull Ampol Racing has announced a tweaked engineering line-up for the 2021 season.

Towards the end of last year, it was confirmed Grant McPherson had shifted to Walkinshaw Andretti United.

McPherson had skippered Shane van Gisbergen’s #97 entry since 2016, with the duo combining for a drivers' championship (2016) and Bathurst 1000 victory (2020).

On Sunday, the team confirmed that David Cauchi will move from Jamie Whincup’s #88 entry and will take charge of the #97.

The team also confirmed recruit Wes McDougall will become Whincup’s race engineer for the upcoming season.

McDougall switched to Triple Eight from Matt Stone Racing following the 2020 season.

It marks key changes for all personnel, with Cauchi rising to the race engineer role on Whincup’s car in 2014.

Cauchi joined the team in 2007 as a data engineer and was later promoted to race engineer for Whincup.

The duo went on the claim the title in their first year working with each other in 2014, before adding a second title together in 2017.

Last week, arch-rival Ford team Dick Johnson Racing also confirmed its engineering line-up for 2021, with former Triple Eight guru Ludo Lacroix to skipper recruit Anton De Pasquale.

The renamed Red Bull Ampol Racing will debut its new engineering line-up at the Mt Panorama 500 across February 26-28.