KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 27 NOVEMBER – 30 NOVEMBER WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
From the pressure-cooker streets of Adelaide to Losail Circuit in Qatar, Kiwi racers are bracing themselves for one of the most pivotal weekends on the motorsport calendar across the ditch, where championships, careers pathways, and history will be decided.
All eyes turn to South Australia for the Adelaide Grand Final, which doubles as the concluding chapter of three major Australian racing series.
The unforgiving Adelaide Street Circuit, with its concrete walls, brutal braking zones, and raucous atmosphere, provides the ultimate arena for New Zealand’s finest to sign off their 2025 campaigns.
The 2025 Supercars Championship reaches its climax, and four New Zealanders are primed for battle. Matt Payne (Grove Racing), Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United), Andre Heimgartner, and Jaxon Evans (Brad Jones Racing) tackle the finale, determined to finish their seasons with impact.
Adelaide’s combination of precision, aggression, and race-long survival demands perfection, and with the year’s final qualifying sessions, Top Ten Shootout, and Sunday’s marquee race all looming large, expect the Kiwis to feature prominently as the curtain falls on another epic Supercars campaign.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Australia paddock also draws its 2025 season to a close on the streets of Adelaide. Rising Kiwi talents Clay Osborne (McElrea Racing) and Marco Giltrap (Team Porsche New Zealand/Earl Bamber Motorsport) return to the grid with everything to race for.
Osborne has been a fierce contender throughout the season, while Giltrap, one of New Zealand’s most intriguing young prospects, aims to end the year with a statement drive in one of the most competitive one-make series on the planet.
Completing the Kiwi lineup is Ayrton Hodson (Anderson Motorsport), flying the silver fern in the Super2 Series finale.
Adelaide has a reputation for exposing weaknesses and rewarding bravery, the perfect proving ground for Hodson as he pushes to close out his campaign on a high after a tough season but continue his rapid development on Australian shores.
Qatar is holding the penulimate round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, with Kiwi driver Liam Lawson fighting to keep his seat for 2026, although latest word is the official announcement on Lawson’s future will be made following this weekend’s Grand Prix.
Matt Payne, Ryan Wood, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans | Supercars
- Where? Adelaide Street Circuit, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Thursday 5:45 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 1:00 PM
- Qualifying (Race 32): Friday 3:10 PM
- Race 32: Friday 6:50 PM
- Qualifying (Race 33): Saturday 12:35 PM
- Top 10 Shootout: Saturday 3:05 PM
- Race 33: Saturday 5:45 PM
- Qualifying (Race 34): Sunday 12:30 PM
- Top 10 Shootout: Sunday 3:05 PM
- Race 34: Sunday 5:45 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
New Zealand’s four Supercars drivers wrapped up a mixed weekend at Sandown, the penultimate round of the 2025 season, with varying outcomes across both races as attention now turns to the Adelaide Grand Final.
Ryan Wood produced the standout result on Saturday, converting pole position into a podium with a controlled run to third place in Race 30. He played a key role in Walkinshaw Andretti United’s strong performance and his teammates Chaz Mosert’s race victory, leading sections of the race and defending well in the closing laps. Sunday told a different story, with a front-left wheel issue during his pit stop costing him significant time. He finished 23rd, eight laps down.
Matt Payne recorded a solid sixth in Race 30, moving forward early and managing his race effectively. His second race was compromised when contact with Cam Waters damaged his steering, leaving him 22nd and six laps down. The result ended his hopes of qualifying for the Adelaide Finals.
Andre Heimgartner struggled for pace on Saturday and finished 17th, but improved markedly on Sunday. Avoiding several incidents and adapting well to changing conditions, he worked his way through the field to take 10th, his best result of the weekend.
Jaxon Evans had a difficult Race 30, finishing 21st, but made progress in Race 31. Keeping clear of major trouble, he moved up the order and secured 15th.
➡️Sandown Race 30 Recap
➡️Sandown Race 31 Recap
The Sandown weekend provided a mix of strong performances and setbacks for the Kiwi drivers. With the final round now approaching, Adelaide will determine how each concludes their 2025 campaign.
Marco Giltrap & Clay Osborne | Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
- Where? Adelaide Street Circuit, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Thursday 11:35 AM
- Practice 2: Thursday 3:55 PM
- Qualifying: Friday 10:50 AM
- Race 1: Friday 3:55 PM
- Race 2: Saturday 3:50 PM
- Race 3: Sunday 3:45 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Marco Giltrap and Clay Osborne came away from the Gold Coast with a tidy haul of points and a clean run through all three Porsche Carrera Cup Australia races, giving both drivers a stable platform heading into the season finale in Adelaide.
Qualifying set the tone for the weekend. Giltrap’s early pace put him fourth on the grid for the opening race, while Osborne lined up just behind in sixth. They were also comfortably placed for Race 2, starting 10th and 11th.
Race 1 barely got going before a heavy multi-car crash brought out the red flag. The race was abandoned soon after, leaving Giltrap classified third and Osborne fourth based on their positions at the stoppage.
With several damaged cars withdrawn, Race 2 featured a smaller field. Osborne made steady gains to finish sixth, while Giltrap was in the thick of the midfield action and came home ninth.
Both drivers carried that form into Race 3. Osborne lost a spot off the start but recovered to finish seventh, and Giltrap again delivered a tidy drive to secure another ninth-place result.
The Gold Coast offered no major gains or setbacks, but both drivers now head to Adelaide with rhythm, points on the board, and one last chance to shape their 2025 season.
Ayrton Hodson | Super2 Series
- Where? Adelaide Street Circuit, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Thursday 1:40 PM
- Practice 2: Thursday 4:30 PM
- Qualifying (Race 11): Friday 12:25 PM
- Qualifying (Race 12) Friday 5:20 PM
- Race 11: Saturday 4:20 PM
- Race 12: Sunday 4:20 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Ayrton Hodson heads into this weekend’s Super2 Series finale in Adelaide focused on closing out his rookie campaign on a positive note, following a bruising outing at the Bathurst 1000.
Mount Panorama offered little reward, with Hodson classified 20th in Race 1 before salvaging 14th in Race 2. The second race was far from straightforward — he was caught in a Turn 1 incident, cutting the left-rear tyre and forcing an early pit stop. After rejoining at the tail of the field, Hodson worked his way forward to claw back several positions.
“Wrapped up at Bathurst, got caught in a pile up at Turn 1 and cut the LR tire, limped back to the pits and the boys got it fixed up and back out, came out at the back of the queue in 17th but made a few passes to finish in 14th, made massive gains every session which was a big positive,” Hodson said.
Despite the weekend not delivering the results he hoped for, Hodson remains upbeat about the experience and the opportunity ahead.
“Not the weekend we were after results wise but was still a pleasure to drive one of these around the Mountain. Big thank you to all the boys and to everyone that supports me, looking forward to finishing on a high in Adelaide!”
The tight Adelaide street circuit has produced unpredictable racing in the past, and Hodson will be aiming to convert that potential into a strong end to his season.
Liam Lawson | Formula 1
- Where? Losail Circuit, Qatar
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 2:30 AM
- Sprint Qualifying: Saturday 6:30 AM
- Sprint Race: Sunday 3:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 7:00 AM
- Grand Prix: Monday 5:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Liam Lawson endured a frustrating Las Vegas Grand Prix, his race compromised almost instantly after being caught up in the chaotic turn-one melee.
A lock-up from George Russell forced Lawson off-line, clipping Oscar Piastri in the squeeze, and the resulting damage to his front wing left the Kiwi with no choice but to pit just a few laps in. The lengthy repairs dropped him to the rear of the field, turning what had started as a promising launch into a recovery drive.
Despite steady pace and a couple of late-race gains, Lawson could only climb back to 16th at the flag, while teammate Isack Hadjar salvaged points in eighth. Max Verstappen won convincingly to keep his title hopes alive, setting the scene for a tense finish to the championship.
Lawson returns this weekend for the Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the 2025 season, looking to rebound from Vegas and finish his rookie campaign on a stronger note.
Header Image: Edge Photographics
