Photo: Volvo Polestar Racing

Robert Dahlgren to leave V8 Supercars after Sydney

Volvo Polestar Racing driver Robert Dahlgren’s last race in the V8 Supercars Championship will be next month’s season finale at Sydney Olympic Park, with the team choosing a different direction for the 2015 season, with their driver line-up to be confirmed at a later date.

The Swedish driver’s best result of the season came at Surfers Paradise last month, while sharing the #34 Volvo S60 with Greg Ritter on the way to 13th, while his best standalone result came at Symmons Plains earlier in the season with 16th.

After assisting with the development of the new Volvo S60 Polestar V8 Supercar with Garry Rogers Motorsport, the 34-year-old will return to Sweden next season to work on the team’s European-based programmes.

“To be involved in such a successful debut V8 Supercars season has been incredibly rewarding, and I am proud to have played a key role in the development of the new car and engine, linking GRM in Melbourne with Polestar in Gothenburg,” said Dahlgren.

“The entire GRM team – and the Australian motorsport fans – have all been incredibly welcoming to me and my family. The V8 Supercars Championship is without doubt one of the best in the world and I leave Australia with many happy memories.”

Team principal Garry Rogers thanked Dahlgren for his support in developing the S60, which has been a proven race winner with team-mate Scott McLaughlin scoring four race victories throughout the course of the season.

“We at GRM are very thankful to Robert for the assistance and professionalism he has displayed in his 12 month contract with our race team. As much as sheer race results may not indicate the true value of Robert’s input, his off track input and work has been very much appreciated, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without him.

“Robert has a very good engineering mind and his knowledge on the processes within both Volvo and Polestar have been extremely helpful with our transition to a factory Volvo Polestar team. I wish him, his wife Nina and young son and daughter all the best in their return to Sweden”.

Dahlgren will return to Sweden and continue to work with Polestar, as the only driver presently contracted next season. Dahlgren’s commitments could well include working on the potential return of Volvo to the WTCC, where he competed in 2011 while developing the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine in the manufacturer’s C30 touring car.

“Robert’s results on track were what we were to expect with a new car, new engineer and new tracks,” said Polestar CEO Christian Dahl of his 2014 V8 Supercars season. “However, his task in aligning the R&D work between Gothenburg and Melbourne was done well above the pace we could expect. Now, we need Robert back home again for coming projects.”