EXCLUSIVE: 'Massive signing' signals Penrite's push to make Supercars a global phenomenon
Penrite Racing is fighting a heated battle for the 2025 Supercars teams' championship with fierce rivals Triple Eight Engineering but some significant changes for the 2026 season could see them soar ahead of their rivals.
The team is led by drivers Kai Allen and Matt Payne who have had an impressive season with five race wins, punctuated by a nail-biting 2025 Bathurst 1000 victory with their Kiwi star.
The young duo create an exciting atmosphere both on and off the track, but have also been pivotal to a "step up in professionalism" at Penrite.
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Riccardo Corte served as Lewis Hamilton's engineer for the first half of 2025. Supercars
Beyond this year, the team has signalled an aggressive push for 2026 by securing a high profile race engineer in former Ferrari engineer Riccardo Corte.
The move is seen as a statement of intent to cement Supercars as a genuine contender in the global motorsport landscape.
"It's a massive signing and it's a very exciting time for Riccardo to come into our team," rookie Allen said exclusively to Wide World of Sports.
"Obviously we've got an absolute powerhouse of engineers as it is, but then bringing his experience, his professionalism from doing those years of Ferrari and working with the greats of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, all those guys and the team around there.
"It's the best in the world, that F1 scene, and to get one of the good engineers out of Ferrari is really cool. To have him come into our team, I'm very excited to see what he offers.
"He's been finishing up his stuff over there, but I'm pretty sure he's coming down shortly to join us in Oz and work hard, get ready for next year.
Kai Allen will fly the Penrite flag in the Final Four. Getty
"I've had to download Duolingo and learn some Italian, but I'm trying to get there so I can understand some Italian.
"I've got understeer and I've got oversteer, that's it," Allen laughs.
After serving as Lewis Hamilton's performance engineer for the first half of 2025, Corte joins the team as race engineer for Allen's Ford Mustang.
"He seems very hungry and very excited for some success, which is really cool. I'm pumped to be working with him, I'm sure that we're going to get a great connection going," explained Allen.
"At the same time, I'm very, very sad to lose Alistair [McVean], but at the same time, we've had a really great year and he's going into a different role.
"I'm still going to be working with him every time, but yeah, I think it's going to be a different voice out of the radio is going to be a bit sad."
Much of the current success is attributed to team principal David Cauchi, who joined in 2022 and quickly elevated the outfit to fight with competitors Triple Eight.
In a twist, Cauchi will depart the stable at the conclusion of the Adelaide weekend for other opportunities, with a successor yet to be named for 2026.
"Cauchi has been a huge part of our journey and someone I have enormous respect for, both personally and professionally," founder and team owner Stephen Grove said.
"Over the past four years, he's helped us build a structure and culture that has delivered results - culminating in our Bathurst 1000 win this year."
The foundation of strong leadership has been perfectly complemented by the emergence of the team's young talent.
"I think there's been a massive step up this year in performance and professionalism. And I think to have us two young drivers in there has brought a really cool vibe to the team," Allen added.
"The way that Matty and I go about our racing, it makes it enjoyable for all the guys and girls in our group.
"You've got to be in the A-game the whole time and you've got to be smart, because everyone in there is as good as each other.
"It's very hard to make the right call and things can go pear-shaped when you don't.
"I found my home here at Penrite Racing and yeah, I'm just grateful to be in the Final Four this year."
The final three races in Adelaide will be crucial. They'll have a 100km race on Friday with $50,000 prize money on the line, before two 250km races on Saturday and Sunday.
