Kostecki set for post-season surgery

New Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki is set for off-season surgery after a quiet year-long battle with tonsillitis, which flared up before last weekend’s season finale.

Kostecki, 26, clinched his maiden Supercars title at the VAILO Adelaide 500, with Erebus Motorsport winning the teams’ championship.

The West Aussie’s remarkable season, however, was secretly affected by an ongoing fight against tonsillitis, with Kostecki opting for post-season surgery.

Kostecki isn't the only driver to go under the knife this season. Teammate Will Brown underwent back surgery between the Repco Bathurst 1000 and Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Earlier this year, Simona De Silvestro underwent emergency appendicitis surgery prior to her Repco Bathurst 1000 wildcard appearance.

“I’ve been sick a few times this year and I’ve been overseas a few times so, I guess, being on a plane for a while doesn’t really help either,” Kostecki told the Rusty’s Garage podcast.

“After Gold Coast, I was sick for two or three weeks and leading up the last round, and finally got myself on the mend.

“It’s one of those things, you want to take medication for it but you can’t because of how the ruling works, so you’ve just got to try and minimise the risk as much as possible.”

Kostecki was set to travel to the United States this weekend, but Brown has been called up to substitute him alongside NASCAR stars Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon in the World Racing League final at the Circuit of the Americas.

Regardless, Kostecki was excited to finally be on the pathway to relief: “Off in two days to get my tonsils out – thank god, finally – and hopefully that part of my life’s over because that’s pretty annoying.

“All I want to do is go and race cars and I can’t, so we’ll get that out and sort that problem out.”

Kostecki will commence his title defence at the 2024 season opener, the Thrifty Bathurst 500, on February 23-25.