KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 24-27 JULY WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
Another busy weekend awaits Kiwi drivers racing around the world, with New Zealanders competing in Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula 3, Formula E and two Australian GT championships.
The biggest event of the weekend is the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Liam Lawson returns to the Hungaroring for Round 11 of the Formula 1 World Championship. Lawson has enjoyed a consistent run of results in recent rounds and will be looking to continue that momentum at one of the calendar’s most technical circuits.
The Hungaroring also hosts Round 7 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, with Louis Sharp back in action as the young Kiwi continues his rookie season in the highly competitive junior category.
In the United States, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Round 22. Shane van Gisbergen returns to one of motorsport’s most iconic venues as he continues his rookie campaign in NASCAR’s top tier.
The Formula E World Championship is in Japan this weekend for Rounds 14 and 15 on the Tokyo Street Circuit. With just a handful of races remaining this season, Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy will both be looking to finish the year strongly.
Closer to home, Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin hosts the GT Festival, featuring rounds of both GT World Challenge Australia and Monochrome GT4 Australia.
Jaxon Evans, Ryan Wood, Brendon Leitch and Steve Brooks will contest Rounds 7 and 8 of GT World Challenge Australia, while William Exton, Blake Dowdall and Chris White are entered in the GT4 Australia field.
From Budapest and Indianapolis to Tokyo and Darwin, Kiwi drivers will once again be representing New Zealand across the globe in another packed weekend of motorsport.
Check out our detailed weekend preview below for everything you need to know, including session times, how to watch, and who’s racing where. ⬇️
Liam Lawson | Formula 1
- Where? Hungaroring, Hungary
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:30 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 3:00 AM
- Practice 3: Saturday 10:30 PM
- Qualifying: Sunday 2:00 AM
- Grand Prix: Monday 1:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Liam Lawson will be looking to return to the points this weekend when the Formula 1 World Championship heads to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Kiwi heads to Budapest after a frustrating Belgian Grand Prix, where he finished 12th despite starting ninth on the grid following pre-race penalties for two drivers ahead.
Lawson spent much of the race battling teammate Arvid Lindblad, but the Briton ultimately had the edge thanks to Racing Bulls’ latest upgrade package, which Lawson is expected to receive for this weekend.
That should provide a timely boost heading to the Hungaroring, a circuit where qualifying is often key due to the limited overtaking opportunities.
With the upgraded package and a fresh opportunity ahead, Lawson will be hoping to get back inside the top 10 and head into Formula 1’s mid-season break on a high.
Louis Sharp | Formula 3
- Where? Hungaroring, Hungary
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 7:55 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 1:00 AM
- Sprint Race: Saturday 8:05 PM
- Feature Race: Sunday 6:40 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Louis Sharp will be aiming for a turnaround this weekend as the FIA Formula 3 Championship heads to the Hungaroring for Round 7.
The young Kiwi endured a difficult weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, recovering to 13th in the Sprint Race after serving a three-place grid penalty before finishing 17th in the Feature Race.
Despite the disappointing results, Sharp now turns his focus to Hungary, where he’ll be looking to put Spa behind him and fight his way back into the points as the Formula 3 season continues.
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 5:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 5:30 AM
- Race: Monday 6:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen heads to this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway full of confidence after matching his best-ever oval result at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The Kiwi delivered one of his strongest Cup Series performances to date, finishing fifth after leading laps and challenging for the win throughout the night.
Starting eighth after qualifying was cancelled due to rain, Van Gisbergen quickly moved forward and took control of the opening stage, narrowly missing out on the stage win by inches to Ty Gibbs. He continued to run near the front throughout the race before ultimately securing his second career top-five Cup Series finish on an oval.
The result also provided a valuable boost in his push towards the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, with the Trackhouse Racing driver strengthening his position above the playoff cut-off line.
Mitch Evans & Nick Cassidy | Formula E
- Where? Tokyo Street Circuit, Japan
- NZ Times: Round 14:
- Practice 1: Friday 10:00 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 4:30 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 6:40 PM
- Race: Saturday 11:05 PM
- Round 15:
- Practice 3: Sunday 4:30 PM
- Qualifying: Sunday 6:40 PM
- Race: Sunday 11:05 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy will be looking to bounce back this weekend when Formula E heads to Tokyo after a challenging double-header in Shanghai.
The Kiwi duo endured a difficult weekend across Rounds 12 and 13, with Evans losing his championship lead after a disappointing run of results.
Starting second for Round 12, Evans finished eighth after struggling to maintain his front-row position, while Cassidy could only manage 19th after lining up 11th on the grid.
The second race proved even tougher, with Evans forced to retire while Cassidy finished 15th, leaving both Kiwis with a weekend to forget.
With Rounds 14 and 15 taking place on the Tokyo Street Circuit this weekend, both Evans and Cassidy will be aiming for a strong recovery and valuable championship points as they look to finish the season on a high.
Jaxon Evans, Brendon Leitch, Steve Brooks & Ryan Wood | GT World Challenge Australia
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 12:50 PM
- Bronze Practice: Friday 3:30 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 5:25 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 11:40 AM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 12:05 PM
- Race 1: Saturday 3:45 PM
- Race 2: Sunday 10:10 AM
- How to Watch? No NZ coverage
New Zealand’s GT World Challenge Australia contingent heads to Hidden Valley Raceway this weekend with plenty of momentum after a strong outing at Queensland Raceway.
Brendon Leitch and co-driver Sergio Pires continued their championship charge with a pair of podium finishes, taking third in Race 1 before converting their pace into victory in Race 2. The result strengthened their position at the top of the championship standings.
Jaxon Evans and co-driver Elliott Schutte also enjoyed a strong second race, bouncing back from an eighth-place finish in Race 1 to claim third on the podium in Race 2.
Steve Brooks and Ryan Wood showed improved pace across the weekend, finishing 14th in the opening race before securing a well-earned second-place podium finish in Race 2.
The Kiwi drivers now head north to Darwin for Rounds 7 and 8 at Hidden Valley Raceway, where they will look to carry their Queensland Raceway form into another competitive weekend of GT racing.
William Exton, Blake Dowdall & Chris White | Monochrome GT4 Australia
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 2:45 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 4:40 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 10:10 AM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 10:35 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 1:10 PM
- Race 2: Sunday 11:30 PM
- How to Watch? No NZ coverage
The Kiwi contingent in Monochrome GT4 Australia heads to Hidden Valley Raceway this weekend looking to build on a mixed but promising weekend at Queensland Raceway.
Chris White and co-driver Daniel Frougas enjoyed a standout performance in Race 1, taking victory before their weekend came to a frustrating end with a DNF in Race 2.
Blake Dowdall and co-driver Cooper Cutts endured a challenging opening race, finishing ninth before improving their consistency with a 12th-place result in Race 2.
William Exton showed strong pace throughout the weekend, recovering from an 18th-place finish in Race 1 to secure a strong fifth-place result in Race 2.
The trio now head north to Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin for Rounds 7 and 8, where they will be aiming to continue improving and challenge for more strong results in the GT4 field.
Header Image: Mark Thompson/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
