Frosty Dumped By Team18!

[GTRMagic]

There are literally thousands of fan comments, recalling when they first met and or began to follow Mr Winterbottom, from karting to formula ford to Dunlop series, to main series at SBR, Larko, Tickford & Team18.

It’s funny to look at how connection between the sport and its consumers and fans is in trouble… yet you see how they have this glimmer of something.. Is it hope? Not sure.. but there is this glimpse of someone else’s life in your own and it takes on connection, relevance and loyalty.

And as the days go past, there are suggestions that folks within the #18 car’s sponsor base may not have been informed of the change in pilot before it was announced or deployed. Certainly the primary brand on that car seems to have several people in their midst who were demonstrably surprised at hearing the news. The sponsor mentioned earlier in this post showing they support the pilot not the car owner. And indeed an upweighted sponsorship for this season brought in on the back of a connection to the pilot has been seen elsewhere to be quite widdled off with not knowing of the change occurring or having any input to it.

While it is highly likely these sponsors are not the sole financial contributors to the running of the team… some respect where necessary might have been important in maintaining a continuing fruitful relationship.

What might be very cool is parlaying these unhappy players, and bundling them elsewhere to prosper and enrich their marketing support of their product and personal relationship with their branded pilot.

Just seeing people write that they will seek alternatives to their current power tool brand that is currently on the Team18 unit might just be a wake up call for the sponsor as well. Why give customers a reason to leave your brand?

And if you take Mr Pye’s sharing in Apex Hunters United podcast, the oily bits touchers in the team are as equally unamused at these events.

Weird…

[GTRMagic]

Winterbottom Offered T18 Enduro Ride

Somebody at that team can’t read a room..

And MW hasn’t spoken to Mr Schwerkolt since..

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Winterbottom Offered T18 Enduro Ride

Somebody at that team can’t read a room..

And MW hasn’t spoken to Mr Schwerkolt since..

SO the mood in the camp isnt great...........as expected.

[GTRMagic]

[mf51]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

I’m sure Charlie knows what he is doing, and won’t be throwing his team under the bus, although I don’t agree with the replacement driver he chose but we shall see, maybe the formula might just work??

This reminds me of Tander/GRM shafting.

[GTRMagic]

Mr Schwerkolt’s View Of His Drivers

Originally Posted by The Article, From Mr Schwerkolt

“Mark has been an incredible ambassador for us, and he’s been great for the team, but it’s time to move on at some stage.

“Dave is not young either, he’s still got a few years left but Mark is right at the end of his career, so it was time to look for something a bit more youthful.”

Question becomes.. was Team18 acting in good faith in the attempt at re-signing of Mr Winterbottom, or was the strategy to keep him warm til they found a new alternative?

Mr Reynolds doesn’t sound like he has his boss’ favour either..

[Kingair]

Mr Reynolds may well be looking for a new employer in 2025, or does he have a nice dowry to bring to the alter?

Crazy Dave may not fit the Toyota image either?

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Kingair

Crazy Dave may not fit the Toyota image either?

Good Point.

[Jack65]

Charlie does have a point. Some drivers just want to go on forever, but the way it was handled was poor.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Jack65

Charlie does have a point. Some drivers just want to go on forever, but the way it was handled was poor.

If these were Team18’s thoughts, why did they continue to negotiate with Mr Winterbottom?

[Jack65]

Hedging their bets? Team 18 has always been a bit of a revolving door when it comes to drivers/ Winterbottom got six years, which is a lot longer than others lasted.

[Trevor]

Strong rumour has it that Frosty will be a co-driver at Tickford in 2025

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Strong rumour has it that Frosty will be a co-driver at Tickford in 2025

There seems to be a lot of talent around. Would you give Frosty a gig or Cooper Murray? He and Hazelwood have shone, among others

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[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Strong rumour has it that Frosty will be a co-driver at Tickford in 2025

Would seem a home comming for him

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Would seem a home comming for him

Same question as Slade. Want to run around in 15th or get paid 6 figures with a shot to win Bathurst?

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[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Same question as Slade. Want to run around in 15th or get paid 6 figures with a shot to win Bathurst?

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Wheres Slades "home comming" ?

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Wheres Slades "home comming" ?

Has history at BJR and WAU. Holdsworth I reckon is done.

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[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Strong rumour has it that Frosty will be a co-driver at Tickford in 2025

I hope so, he never should have left this team!!

Today has been torture to watch, the guy is 1 lap behind & his had no problems all day...

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Wheres Slades "home comming" ?

I am going to suggest Not Erebus

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[Henry]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Wheres Slades "home comming" ?

Black & White cabs?

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Mixer

There seems to be a lot of talent around. Would you give Frosty a gig or Cooper Murray? He and Hazelwood have shone, among others

Sent from my SM-S908E using Tapatalk

Well we'll just have to wait and see

[Jack65]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Wheres Slades "home comming" ?

DJR, ran with McLaughlin in 2020.

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Jack65

DJR, ran with McLaughlin in 2020.

cheers,

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Jack65

DJR, ran with McLaughlin in 2020.

Didn’t the car get scratched during practice..

[Tourer]

Frosty confirms no full-time drive in 2025. Nothing yet on where he might co-drive but I guess we'll find out in the fullness of time (or he could stop completely).

Personally, for mine he went off the boil a few years ago, so think he's been on borrowed time for a while. Never rated him as highly as quite a few others but he DID win a championship once and he was quick in his early years (in what is now called Super 2). I always felt that he lacked that last bit of edge that the really good ones have - he often was on the radio, being the victim, complaining about other drivers, instead of getting the head down and doing something about it & Tim Edwards had the same mentality so they probably enabled each other.

Then again, he didn't drive for a genuinely top-of-the-class team for much of his career. No 888, Stone Brothers in development series but not the main game, no HRT when they were strong, no DJR when they were etc. Tickford was inconsistent although they DID manage to get that one championship together.

Good luck to him, he's been decent but not great.