New Zealanders Liam Sceats and Chris van der Drift return to Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia action this weekend as the championship heads to the Shanghai International Circuit for the penultimate round of the 2026 season.
Round 5 marks the final Asian stop of the championship before the season finale, with both Kiwis arriving in Shanghai following strong performances last time out at Inje Speedium in South Korea.
Sceats and teammate Gustaw Wiśniewski enter the weekend sitting second in the championship and firmly in title contention after taking their second overall victory of the season at Inje.
The Kiwi youngster opened the South Korean weekend third overall and second in the Pro class in Race 1 before going two places better in the second encounter. Sceats remained among the leading group throughout the opening stint of Race 2 before handing the car over during the compulsory pit-stop window.
His teammate returned to the circuit in the fight at the front and made the decisive move for the lead shortly before a late safety car neutralised the race, securing Sceats and Wiśniewski their second victory of the campaign.
Van der Drift was also among the standout performers at Inje alongside Leipert Motorsport teammate Clay Osborne Kingsford.
The experienced New Zealander finished second overall and won the Pro-Am class in Race 1 before once again challenging for outright honours in Race 2. Van der Drift spent much of his opening stint putting leader Jonathan Cecotto under pressure and eventually inherited the race lead when Cecotto made his compulsory stop.
He handed the car over to Kingsford from the lead, with the pair ultimately finishing third overall while again taking Pro-Am honours to complete a double class victory for the weekend.
It leaves both New Zealand drivers carrying plenty of momentum into Shanghai. For Sceats, the championship battle will be the primary focus as he and Wiśniewski look to close the gap at the top of the standings before the final round.
“Gustaw and I return to the track this weekend, where we arrive second in the championship,” Sceats said.
“Last time out in South Korea, we took our second victory of the season. Our objective is to fight for back-to-back wins and reduce the championship gap before the final round.”
The Shanghai event will also be the biggest of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia season to date, with the series racing at the Formula 1 venue in front of an expected crowd of more than 50,000 spectators each day.
Sceats has spent the extended break between rounds back home in New Zealand, balancing physical and simulator training with partner commitments and work towards further opportunities in New Zealand and Asia.
He also completed four development days with GAZOO Racing New Zealand in its new Formula Regional car, running hundreds of laps across Hampton Downs and Taupo while working with the team on setup changes and providing technical feedback.
The 20-year-old has also taken another step forward in his relationship with Lamborghini after progressing to the next phase of the manufacturer’s Young Driver Programme.
Sceats completed a series of online workshops during the break and will travel directly from Shanghai to Italy for a three-day assessment camp evaluating his physical and mental performance.
Shanghai will therefore begin a significant period both on and off the track for the Kiwi as he looks to strengthen his position within Lamborghini while continuing his championship push.
Before racing begins, Sceats will speak at AmCham Shanghai’s “Building Winning Teams with Liam Sceats” event on Wednesday, sharing his experiences around high performance, leadership and successful teams.
He and performance coach Shane will also host a small group of senior New Zealand-China and business leaders within the Lamborghini environment across the weekend, using motorsport as an opportunity to build relationships and potential future opportunities between New Zealand and China. On track, however, the objective remains straightforward.
“We are firmly in the championship fight; now it is time to make Shanghai count,” Sceats said.
Race 1 at the Shanghai International Circuit gets underway at 6.45pm NZST on Saturday, September 5, before Race 2 at 2.45pm NZST on Sunday, September 6.
Both races will stream live and free on Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s YouTube channel.
Header Image: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia
