Winterbottom spells out 2025 co-drive desire

Signing with a team capable of delivering a Bathurst victory is Mark Winterbottom’s primary goal, with the 2015 champion set to transition into co-driving.

The upcoming VAILO Adelaide 500 will be Winterbottom’s final full-time start in what has proven a long and decorated 21-year stint in the main game.

At the time of his announcement, Winterbottom said he has more news coming “very shortly,” and speaking to media on the Gold Coast, left the door open to a Ford reunion.

The outgoing Team 18 driver raced for the Blue Oval between 2003 and 2018, winning the 2013 Bathurst 1000 and 2015 drivers’ title for what is now known as Tickford Racing.

Winterbottom, who will turn 44 next year, insists he wants an opportunity that can be competitive at the biggest race of the year.

“I’ve got a few options, actually,” Winterbottom said on Triple M’s The Rush Hour when asked about his 2025 plans.

“We’ll go through that in the next couple of weeks, and yeah, work out where I land.

“Somewhere that hopefully can win Bathurst, that’s the plan.”

Sitting 15th in the points, Winterbottom can finish as high as eighth after Adelaide. Remarkably, Winterbottom has never won in Adelaide in 41 starts, and is set to move past Craig Lowndes’ Adelaide tally of 42 starts.

After Adelaide, Winterbottom said he wouldn't be lost to the sport, saying he will have a presence in the “two big events,” being The Bend and Bathurst enduros.

“It’s been a 21-year career, and I’ve loved every moment of it,” he said.

“Some really good highlights, and a few lowlights, that’s what you get in sport, really loved the career.

“End of this season will be the last one, so that’ll be it for the time being, and we get to go into co-driving next year.

“I’ll still get in the car and get to have a drive around in the two big events, it’s still a good little way to [have] a ‘soft retirement’, which is good."

Winterbottom's final 2024 starts will come at the season-ending VAILO Adelaide 500 on November 14-17. Tickets for the season finale are on sale now.