David Reynolds has confirmed his split with Erebus Motorsport for 2021, bringing an end to his ten-year contract after just one season.
It means the team enter the new season with a completely revamped driver line-up, following on from the departure of teammate Anton de Pasquale to Dick Johnson Racing.
Will Brown has already been confirmed to replace De Pasquale, with Brodie Kostecki understood to be the leading candidate for the second seat.
In a statement by the team, Reynolds said the decision was in his own interest and failed to go into any further detail about what triggered his early exit.
“My preference has been to stay at Erebus but unfortunately it is time for me to move on,” said Reynolds
“I have really enjoyed my time with the team and leaving has been a very difficult decision to make.
“The team are a fantastic bunch of people that I’ve built really strong relationships with over the past five years and I am proud of what we have been able to achieve together.”
Team Owner Betty Klimenko said the decision had saddened the team, but she wouldn’t be prepared to have blocked any move by her star driver.
“David has been a significant part of our team since we moved to Melbourne in 2016,” she said.
“We have shared a lot of success, including winning the 2017 Bathurst 1000, and we thank David for all his efforts.
“However, unfortunately, David has decided that his future lies elsewhere, and we do not wish to stop him from taking another path.
“David needs to do what is best for him, and we need to do what is best for our team’s future and long-term stability.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to come to an agreement, and we have had to go our separate ways.
“We wish David and his new family all the best for their future.”
At the end of the 2020 season, it was confirmed Reynolds’ engineer Alistair McVean had left the team.
McVean is expected to land a deal with another rival team, likely Kelly Racing, and Reynolds will no doubt wish to follow him should he wish to continue for another season.