NEW ZEALAND A WORLD LEADER IN MOTORSPORT by Paul Marinelli
New Zealand ranks as the 75th largest country in terms of land mass and it sits at 121st for population size. Yet the land of the long white cloud has one of the most impressive records of success in international motorsport. New Zealand racing drivers have accumulated one Formula One World Championship; 12 Formula One grand prix wins, including two at the famed Monaco Grand Prix; six victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours; six IndyCar Series Championships; one win in the Indianapolis 500; four Motorcycle Grand Prix Championships; three World Endurance Championship (GT/Sportscars) Drivers’ titles; one World Rally Championship round win; and, closer to home, a staggering 18 Bathurst 1000 victories and nine Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars titles. 1 4 CAPRICORN IGNITION FEBRUARY 2022
In 2021 alone, Shane van Gisbergen won the Supercars championship, Andre Heimgartner claimed his first Supercars victory, Marcus Armstrong and Liam Lawson scored race wins in Formula 2, Scott McLaughlin raced to Rookie of the Year honours in the IndyCar Series and in the Indianapolis 500 (directly after winning three consecutive Supercars Championships), Brendon Hartley finished runner-up in the Le Mans 24 Hours (after having made it all the way to Formula One), Mitch Evans was a championship contender in Formula E, and Jaxon Evans won a race in the Porsche Supercup global championship. From the pioneering efforts of 1967 Formula One world champion Denny Hulme, long-time grand prix driver Chris Amon, and legendary team founder Bruce McLaren to the international achievements of IndyCar great Scott Dixon and sportscar aces Earl Bamber and Hartley today, New Zealand well and truly punches above its weight in motorsport.
