KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 31 OCTOBER – 2 NOVEMBER WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
Another busy weekend of international motorsport awaits New Zealand drivers and riders, with Formula 1 heading to Mexico, NASCAR at Martinsville, GT4 Australia at Sandown and GT World Challenge Asia in Shanghai.
Liam Lawson returns to Formula 1 action at the Mexico City Grand Prix for Round 19 of the championship, while Shane van Gisbergen heads to Martinsville Speedway for the latest round of the NASCAR Cup Series.
Across the Tasman, Blake Dowdall, Tony Quinn and William Exton will represent New Zealand in Monochrome GT4 Australia at Sandown Raceway in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Brendon Leitch and Jaxon Evans will be competing in GT World Challenge Asia at Shanghai International Circuit in China.
With Kiwi drivers and riders competing across five countries, New Zealand motorsport fans have plenty to follow over the coming days.
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? Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 7:30 AM
- Practice 2: Saturday 11:00 AM
- Practice 3: Sunday 6:30 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 10:00 AM
- Grand Prix: Monday 9:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports or F1 TV
Liam Lawson heads into this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix looking to continue his strong run of form after finishing ninth at the United States Grand Prix in Austin last weekend.
The Kiwi secured his 13th points finish of the season, bringing his tally to 77 and keeping him ninth in the Drivers’ Championship, 35 points clear of his nearest rival. His result also helped Racing Bulls extend its advantage over Alpine to 33 points in the battle for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Formula 1 now heads to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for Round 19, where Lawson will be looking to add more points to his tally.
Meanwhile, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli has another opportunity to secure his maiden World Championship after claiming his ninth victory of the season in Austin.
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Martinsville Speedway, Virginia
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 6:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 7:05 AM
- Race: Monday 8:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the latest round of the NASCAR Cup Series, looking to bounce back after a promising run at Talladega ended in disappointment last weekend.
The Kiwi qualified an impressive fourth, his best-ever oval-track qualifying result, before spending much of the race running inside the top ten. However, with just five laps remaining, van Gisbergen was caught in a multi-car wreck that ended his race early, leaving him classified 30th.
Van Gisbergen now turns his attention to Martinsville’s tight, half-mile oval, where he hopes to turn his recent pace into a strong result as the season nears its conclusion.
Blake Dowdall, Tony Quinn and William Exton | Monochrome GT4 Australia
- Where? Sandown Raceway, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 1:40 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 4:30 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 1:10 PM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 1:35 PM
- Race 1: Saturday 4:45 PM
- Race 2: Sunday 2:45 PM
- How to Watch? GT World YouTube Channel
Three New Zealand drivers will be in action at Sandown Raceway this weekend for the latest round of Monochrome GT4 Australia, with William Exton, Blake Dowdall and returning competitor Tony Quinn on the grid.
Exton heads into the weekend after a strong outing at Sydney Motorsport Park, where he and co-driver Jack Johnson won Race 1 before finishing fourth in Race 2.
Dowdall and co-driver Cooper Cutts finished 11th overall and eighth in the Silver class in the opening race, followed by 17th overall and tenth in class in Race 2.
Meanwhile, Quinn returns to the championship after a short hiatus, adding a third Kiwi to the field at Sandown this weekend.
Brendon Leitch and Jaxon Evans | GT World Challenge Asia
- Where? Shanghai International Circuit, China
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Friday 3:38 PM
- Pre-Qualifying: Friday 7:55 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 2:35 PM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 2:57 PM
- Race 1: Saturday 5:50 PM
- Race 2: Sunday 6:05 PM
- How to Watch? GT World YouTube Channel
Brendon Leitch and Jaxon Evans return to GT World Challenge Asia action at Shanghai International Circuit this weekend, with Leitch arriving fresh from being crowned a Lamborghini Super Trofeo Pro World Champion at Monza last weekend.
The Kiwi will be looking to carry that momentum into Shanghai after a mixed outing at the Beijing Street Circuit last round. Leitch and co-driver Jiajun Song finished eighth overall and third in the Pro-Am class in Race 1, before taking 11th overall and sixth in class in Race 2.
Evans and co-driver Andres Pato endured a tougher weekend, retiring from the opening race before finishing 15th overall and eighth in the Pro-Am class in Race 2.
Both Kiwi drivers will be looking to end the weekend on a stronger note as the championship heads to Shanghai.
Header Photo: GT World Challenge Asia
