Have we reached peak NZ motorsport achievement?

At that time, 2017 was a stella year for New Zealand motorsport. Hayden Paddon was a full-time World Rally Championship driver for Hyundai Motorsport. Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Porsche LMP Team. Scott Dixon was fastest qualifier for the Indianapolis 500 and finished third in the IndyCar Series, Nick Cassidy won the Super GT Series in Japan while also competing in the Super Formula Series. Mitch Evans had become a factory FIA Formula E driver for Jaguar.

Meanwhile Marcus Armstrong won the Italian Formula 4 Championship and came within a whisker of also winning the ADAC Formula 4 Championship (Germany), Chris van der Drift won the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and Liam Lawson became the 2016/17 New Zealand Formula Ford champion.

Brendon Hartley Brazil F1 2017 — **Brendon Hartley at the 2017 Brazilian F1 Grand Prix**

The icing on the cake was Hartley driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso team in the last four Formula One Grand Prix of the 2017 season which eventuated in a full-time drive for 2018.

Now in 2026, we can tick even more boxes.

Liam Lawson is a full-time F1 driver for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (formerly Scuderia Toro Rosso), Hayden Paddon is back competing in the World Rally Championship Rally1 category with Hyundai Motorsport. Nick Cassidy (Peugeot), Earl Bamber (Cadillac) and Brendon Hartley (Toyota) are with three different factory teams in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Cassidy (Citroen) is also competing in the FIA Formula E Series as is Mitch Evans (Jaguar).

**Hayden Paddon at 2026 Rally Japan – photo Jaanus Ree**

Earl Bamber and Hunter McElrea are competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Shane van Gisbergen is setting records in the NASCAR Cup Series, Louis Sharp is competing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, Brendon Leitch, Chris van der Drift and Liam Sceats are in various Lamborghini Super Trofeo series and a number of Carrera Cup also have at least one New Zealander on their grid.

***#8 TR010 HYBRID of Brendon Hartley in Bahrain***

Marcus Armstrong and Scott McLaughlin have established themselves on the NTT IndyCar Series grid with Scott Dixon.

Several Kiwi teams are involved with international motorsport including Earl Bamber Motorsport, Kiwi Motorsport and Rodin Motorsport who is involved in FIA F2, F3, F1 Academy, GB3, British F4, Spanish F4 and British GT.

Surely, you say, this can carry on into 2027?

Not necessarily! While you’d put money on Lawson retaining his F1 seat, Kiwis still being represented in IndyCar, WEC, FE, IMSA and NASCAR, Hayden Paddon is not guaranteed to have his WRC drive in 2027. This would make a major difference as we are unlikely to see another Kiwi in the WRC for a number of years.

However, what could make an even more positive difference in 2027 would be for Lawson to step up onto a F1 podium, an Indy 500 victory, or a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or titles in WEC/FE/IMSA or the NASCAR Cup Series.

New Zealand has a large number of drivers spread throughout global motorsport categories and many more making their way through the domestic scene. There is plenty more to come but will we attain the heights of 2017 or 2026?

How the cards fall for 2027, we will have to wait and see how good it will be.