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'Doesn't sit well': V8 legend answers retirement question

Bringing down the curtain on his glittering Supercars career at the end of this season didn't sit well with Holden legend Jamie Whincup.

The seven-time Supercars champion has ended speculation about his future, confirming he will go around for Red Bull again in 2021.

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The 37-year-old has been open about considering all options during the off-season.

"My addiction for racing, speed and trying to beat my mates to the finish line started when I was seven years old," Whincup said.

"Any thought of finishing full-time driving this year doesn't sit well with me.

"I feel I have plenty to offer this sport from behind the wheel.

"While my full focus is on this year's championship and delivering results, it's great to know that all the fun will continue well into 2021."

Another campaign with Red Bull will extend his glittering career into an extraordinary 20th Supercars season.

Pictured here, Holden driver Jamie Whincup salutes Supercars fans.
Jamie Whincup has confirmed he will drive on in 2021. Pic: Getty

Discussions about Whincup's future only intensified in October when he was elected to the Supercars Commission, a year after taking a 15 per cent stake in Triple Eight.

Whincup will again form an all-star duo with 2016 champion Shane van Gisbergen.

Ford's Scott McLaughlin might have cantered to a second straight championship last year, but Whincup finished 2019 in stronger form by claiming three of the last four victories of the season.

Van Gisbergen was runner-up to McLaughlin for the second straight year.

Remarkably, Whincup has been in the top three of the overall standings every year since 2007, except for 2015 when he placed fifth.

News of Whincup’s desire to keep driving will be music to the ears of Holden fans in the wake of the shock announcement about the manufacturers’ demise.

Holden fans partly to blame for sad end

The boss of Holden's factory-backed Supercars team says fans of the Red Lion had a role to play in the motoring brand's demise.

Holden's parent company General Motors has announced it will "retire" the iconic Australian brand by the end of the year.

Years of declining sales drove the American automotive giant to make the call and Red Bull Holden Racing Team boss Roland Dane said flag-waving Holden fans on the track were partially responsible for the outcome.

"Unfortunately, one of the issues is, an awful lot of the people that have been barracking for the Holden brand over the last 10 years or so haven't actually been buying the product," Dane said.

"For whatever reason. It's a fact of life that people have been turning up to watch the races in other brands and one we're all very aware of.

"Times change and we've got to change with them."

The decision has left Dane seeking urgent talks with Holden bosses to work out his team's future arrangements in the championship.

Red Bull signed a two-year extension on their deal with Holden last year, taking them through to the end of the 2021 championship but it's almost certain that support won't extend into next year.

As the team featuring championship-winning drivers Jamie Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen prepare for this weekend's season opening Adelaide 500, Dane was confident morale hadn't been affected by the news.

"I've certainly made them aware of what's going on and I hope they believe in me and they'll wait and see what happens," he said.