Motor racing's shortest retirement
V8 Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen announced he was retiring from the sport aged just 23... But just two months later he was signing a new deal. Andrew van Leeuwin unravels the tale
It will probably go down as the shortest retirement in V8 Supercar history.
Last November, Shane van Gisbergen announced he was walking away from the sport. At just 23 years of age, and with a seemingly lucrative drive at Stone Brothers Racing, the Kiwi made the decision to give it all up, citing "personal reasons" and declining to comment further.
Now, just over two months later, he's back with a brand new deal with Tekno Autosports to drive a Triple Eight-built Holden Commodore in 2013.
Share Or Save This Story
Andrew van Leeuwen is Motorsport.com's Australian Editor and provides award-winning coverage of Supercars. He started his career working for Australasian Motorsport News in Melbourne, working his way into the top digital editor role before relocating to Mainz, Germany, in 2012. During his three-year stint in Europe he covered a number of series, including the DTM, while working for Autosport, before returning to Australia as part of Motorsport.com's global expansion in early 2015. Alongside his Motorsport.com commitments Andrew is one-third of the successful Below the Bonnet podcast. He lives in Perth with his wife Anne, kids Nico and Billie and chihuahua Coco.
More from Andrew van Leeuwen
Supercars parity review begins ahead of the Gold Coast 500
Reynolds blindsided by Bathurst Supercars penalty
Details of impending Mustang Supercars parity change revealed
Bathurst 1000: Van Gisbergen/Stanaway take dominant victory
Bathurst 1000: Pole position for Kostecki/Russell
Bathurst 1000: Kostecki fastest in crash-filled Supercars qualifying
Supercars answers as Ford teams unite against 'unacceptable disadvantage'
Ranking the top 10 Supercars drivers of 2021
Latest news
Obituary: Successful tin-top racer and Demon Tweeks founder Alan Minshaw dies aged 88
Ricciardo felt "rapid" before Stroll F1 clash in China
Auction raises more than €50K for Craig Breen Foundation
Power “didn't have any defence” against Dixon with tyre strategy at Long Beach
Autosport Plus
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
When Nissan ruled Australia with its 'Godzilla' Group A special
Ranking the top 10 Supercars drivers of 2021
The well-travelled racer now Supercars' elder statesman
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.