Supercars 2023: Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko opens up on her decision to allow Will Brown out of his contract

Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko has opened up on her reaction to Will Brown’s request to switch to fierce rival Triple Eight next season.

Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko has opened up on her decision to allow star driver Will Brown out of his contract to join rivals Triple Eight next year, revealing she initially felt “angry” and “let down” but did not want to stand in his way.

Explaining her decision for the first time since Brown’s shock defection to the Red Bull squad as the NASCAR-bound Shane van Gisbergen’s replacement was confirmed, Klimenko told of how “upset” she felt after Brown approached her to ask for a release from the final year of his Erebus contract in 2024.

Erebus Motorsport chief executive Barry Ryan revealed last month the “beautiful heart” of Klimenko had been pivotal in allowing 25-year-old Brown to leave.

Brown, who sits fourth in the Supercars championship standings, will join Triple Eight from 2024 on a three-year deal.

Klimenko said it had been a hard decision given the investment the team had made in the rising star, but she had not wanted to hold Brown back.

“It was hard because when he first started with us, we put a lot in (to him),” Klimenko said.

“I can’t say that I wasn’t upset, I was upset.

“It’s a hard thing to talk about because of the emotions at the time. Was I angry? Yes. Was I upset? Yes. Was I let down? Yes. But I never felt betrayed.

Will Brown will make the move to Triple Eight from Erebus Motor sport next year.

“The only thing I can say is if I was his age and I was him and I was offered a Red Bull seat, I would take it as well. You don’t just get a Red Bull seat, you get a Red Bull seat, you get the six hour, the 12 hour, a desert race, all these different things because it’s all attached.

“I needed to see it from his eyes as well. We’re not in the slavery business … we don’t hold anyone there against their will.

“I will try my hardest to keep them, but if I realise it’s a no-go then good luck to you, I wish them all the best.”

Brown’s defection comes as Erebus and Triple Eight are locked in a fierce battle for the 2023 Supercars championship.

The Toowoomba pilot’s teammate Brodie Kostecki leads the drivers’ standings ahead of van Gisbergen, while Erebus sits on top in the teams championship.

Klimenko said she was initially approached by Brown about the opportunity before speaking to Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup, adding there had been no contracts bought out in this arrangement.

“Will was very respectful. He explained it to me,” Klimenko said.

“He said, ‘I understand if you won’t let me out of my contract’. But if you look back in Erebus’ history, I’ve let (drivers) off their contracts and I never asked for money, I never asked for the contracts to be bought out.

Brodie Kostecki has a narrow lead in the drivers’ championship. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

“It’s not what I’m there for. You are talking about a guy’s livelihood .... he’s not a commodity. He is an asset, but he’s not a commodity.

“Then I spoke to Jamie afterwards. I don’t know if he was expecting a fight or wherever, I just said, ‘If that’s what Will wants, I’m not going to make a fuss, I’m not going to put up walls, it’s his decision, it’s his life’.”

Klimenko acknowledged the conversation with a passionate Ryan was much harder, but the pair talked through the decision.

“I don’t say, ‘This is how it’s going to be done’. We discussed it,” Klimenko said.

“I said to Will, ‘This is as far as I’m concerned, but I need to speak to Barry first and I will get back to you’.

“Baz has got a heart of gold and he just has a certain way of doing things. He is very lively when it comes to his motorsport.

“But you could see it in (Brown’s) eyes, he wanted to go.”

Erebus Motorsport team owner Betty Klimenko with Will Brown, who will leave the team at the end of the year to join Triple Eight.

Klimenko said Brown’s departure had not made things awkward in the Erebus garage and the team remained focused on the championship push.

“Everyone is just concentrating on the job they have got to do,” she said.

“I think he gets ribbed a bit. I don’t treat him any differently, he’s just Will.

“You don’t know what driver you are going to have back. You don’t burn bridges.

“It’s a sport, it’s entertainment and we just need to realise that there are just X amount of drivers that are good and they do go round and round. You will end up with one person twice, it doesn’t matter.”

Ahead of the Supercars endurance season, starting with the Sandown 500 this weekend, Klimenko said she was “quietly confident” the team could hold on in the title fight this year.

“I don’t like to talk about it only because I think it is going to be jinxed,” she said.

“There’s so many points on offer (in these endurance races) … you never know how the points can turn out at the end of the endurance rounds.

“But I’m quietly confident. I’m quietly confident that my boys will be as high up as they should be and that we will be going up the order of the garage next year.”