What's new in 2025: De Pasquale in a Team 18 Camaro
Supercars.com is highlighting some key on- and off-track changes coming in 2025, continuing with a driver's new move.
After four seasons in Shell V-Power colours, Anton De Pasquale has set sail for his third team in Supercars.
Team 18 made the big call to move Mark Winterbottom on and sign De Pasquale, who was a winner at Dick Johnson Racing and Erebus Motorsport.
De Pasquale arrived at DJR in the afterglow of the success Penske and Scott McLaughlin, and claimed eight wins and 16 poles across two seasons, with a best finish of fourth overall.
Could 2025 be the year De Pasquale truly makes his presence felt in Supercars?
The move
After three impressive seasons with Erebus, De Pasquale joined Will Davison in a double driver move at DJR, replacing McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard.
In 114 races as teammates, De Pasquale and Davison were evenly matched; De Pasquale claimed eight wins, 16 poles, compared to Davison's three and 13. De Pasquale, however, suffered 14 DNFs in four years compared to Davison's one.
A surprise Jason Richards Memorial Trophy win in Taupō was a clear highlight in 2024 for De Pasquale, who finished 11th overall. It was the first time since 2019 he had failed to finish in the overall top 10, and the first time by a DJR driver since 2016.
With DJR chasing Brodie Kostecki's signature, De Pasquale jumped a chance to join Team 18, which came at the expense of Winterbottom. For De Pasquale, who turns 30 in September, it could prove a make-or-break decision.
De Pasquale's hopes
The 2025 season will be De Pasquale's eighth in Supercars, and Team 18 his third team. The pressure that comes with racing for Supercars' oldest team is immense, and while he enjoyed many highlights, De Pasquale will be ready for change.
Team 18 reached victory lane in 2023 with Winterbottom, who claimed two podiums in 2024. New recruit David Reynolds finished ahead in the standings, and managed 10 top 10s to Winterbottom's four. That combined total of 14 in 48 shows Team 18 didn't get it right as often as they would've liked.
De Pasquale is a powerhouse over one lap on his day, winning the 2021 Pole Champion Award. He is winless since July 2023, and would love nothing more to return to the top step.
Team 18 needs to improve drastically over one lap, and needs to execute better in the races, to get their two star drivers fighting for trophies. Winterbottom's Albert Park and Darwin podiums seemed flashes in the pan, with the 2015 champ managing two additional top 10s in his other 22 starts.
De Pasquale will be keen to get up to speed with his engineers as quickly as possible, given he will compete in a Gen3 Camaro for the first time. Reynolds is a known quantity, given they were teammates between 2018 and 2020 at Erebus. There will be familiarity on the driver front, but De Pasquale is four years older.
Other driver change case studies in the Gen3 era
De Pasquale is swapping a DJR Ford for a Team 18 Chevrolet, which is quite the change. He is one of three driver-manufacturer changes in 2025, alongside Kostecki (Erebus Motorsport to Dick Johnson Racing) and Richie Stanaway (Grove Racing to PremiAir Racing).
Reynolds and Nick Percat have so far been the only full-time drivers to change manufacturers in the Gen3 era, with Percat wildly impressing in 2024 to claim two wins with Matt Stone Racing.
Reynolds, however, had a rollercoaster year in 2024, and De Pasquale will be fully aware. The season starts in Sydney, where Reynolds finished 17th twice last July, and Winterbottom 24th and 13th. The pre-season test, two days before Race 1, will be crucial for Team 18 shake every conceivable cobweb out.
There's no doubt the team has two superb drivers on its books; Team 18 is one of just four teams, along with Triple Eight, DJR and PremiAir, to have two race winners on its roster. It's now a matter of team giving its drivers speedy cars.
Tickets for the season-opening round in Sydney, on February 21-23, are on sale now.
