Stanaway was 'set up for failure' in rookie Supercars season

The former Aston Martin GT driver endured a disastrous Supercars season in 2018, finishing 25th in the points with a single top-10 finish at the Tickford Racing Ford squad.

A lack of results took its toll on the relationship between the team and driver, and cracks began to show as early as July's Townsville round where Stanaway clashed with Tickford chief Tim Edwards over an impromptu mid-race drifting display.

He was ultimately let go by Tickford after the season finale in Newcastle, just one season into his two-year contract.

But none of that has concerned Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton, who has orchestrated a surprise lifeline for Stanaway at Garry Rogers Motorsport through a new multi-year sponsorship deal.

Adderton said Stanaway was always likely to struggle to match expectation in his rookie campaign, thanks to the hype he attracted with impressive outings at Sandown - which he won - Bathurst and Gold Coast as a co-driver in 2017.

"I think the problem Richie had in 2018 is that he had such a build-up to the success that he had in the endurance races that everyone just expected him to get into a Tickford car and be in the top three," Adderton told Autosport.

"The expectations on Richie were way too high. And I don't think Tickford managed that that well.

"What we're trying to do now is say, 'Hey Richie, you had a bad year last year. You can blame as many people as you want and you can take the blame yourself. But this year the expectations aren't on you. There's no hype about Richie Stanway coming in'.

"If we relieve that pressure on him, and we put a very good team around him, it's exciting.

"That's what our brand is all about, giving young drivers a chance rather than setting them up for failure. I think last year, Richie was set up for failure.

"He's a talent. Nobody who watched Richie drive in 2017 [at] Sandown and Bathurst doesn't think he has talent.

"He knows what he's doing, but if you don't get the driver's head right, I can guarantee you that the left and right feet won't be right either."

Adderton added he wants Stanaway to build on the hardships of 2018 and use his failed rookie season as motivation to take this second chance with both hands.

"I always say that I'd like to hire someone who's had a failure," he said.

"If you hire people who have just had successes, they've never been in a hard place like Richie was. Richie has had that year.

"Now he's got an opportunity to relieve the pressure and go out and do what we think he can do, which is drive the car fast.

"I think it's going to make for a very interesting year in Supercars. This is a team that most people are going to be watching."