» V8s: TeamVodafone unveils final livery

Triple 8 Racing has unveiled the final livery it will run at this weekend’s Sydney Telstra 500 as it bids farewell to long-term naming rights sponsor, Vodafone Australia.

Drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes took the wraps off the chrome colour scheme – which bears a close resemblance to the McLaren F1 team’s decal – in a ceremony on Sydney Harbour to mark six years of the partnership.

The partnership has been the most successful in the series’ history, with the outfit winning an incredible four Team Championships, four Driver Championships, four Bathurst 1000 titles, 84 race wins and 135 podium finishes in the 182 championship races they have contested to-date.

This weekend’s event around the streets of Sydney Olympic Park will allow the squad to potentially pick up two more wins and cement a fourth championship title for Jamie Whincup, who effectively sealed the deal by winning both races at the Winton 300 a fortnight ago.

“This is a fitting livery to close out the TeamVodafone era,” Whincup said.

“We’ve had huge success working with Vodafone and I personally, really want to say thank you by delivering a win in the final race.”

The team didn’t have to wait long to find a high-profile replacement sponsor, with drinks giant Red Bull set to assume naming rights of the team from next year in a multi-year deal.