It’s been another great year with plenty of Kiwi drivers on the world stage, plus some very successful domestic series taking place.
The best of 2019
Velocity.co.nz’s choice of Nick Cassidy as their top driver for 2019 is right on the money. His 2019 Super Formula Series win can now be added to the 2015 Japanese Formula 3 and 2017 Super GT Series titles already in the trophy cabinet. He is a driver right at the top of Japanese motorsport. It looks like he will spend 2020 again racing in Japan although he is more than ready for the next step in his career, whatever that may be.
Scott McLaughlin now has consecutive Australia Supercars Championship titles. 2019 was not straight forward but he got runs on the board early in the season and stepped up when it counted. This included his first, and now a very treasured, Bathurst 1000 win with Alex Premat.
On the home front Liam Lawson signaled his intentions for the year by winning both the New Zealand Grand Prix and the 2019 Castrol Toyota Racing Series title. While critics may have wished for more wins from his European campaign in the EuroFormula Open and FIA Formula 3 Series’, it is more critical what his major sponsor, Red Bull Racing expects. It is reported that they are more than happy with his results and we will see him again in the FIA F3 Championship, this time in a top team.
Let’s not forget Marcus Armstrong. He finished runner up in the 2019 FIA F3, a series that arguably he needed to win (along with most of the grid). Although this didn’t eventuate, he finished strongly jumping from fourth to second overall in the final round. He did enough to gain a seat in Formula 2 for 2020, and with a competitive team. He will be one to watch in the season ahead.
The Castrol TRS again delivered a competitive and successful series apart from the embarrassing decision not to run on Sunday at the second round at Teretonga Park in Invercargill. Expected high winds never eventuated and loyal southern fans were left disappointed not to see the TRS cars take to the grid. However the rest of the series provided a thrilling duel between two Kiwi drivers, Lawson and Armstrong.
Arguably the two most successful domestic series (outside of TRS) are the South Island Formula 1600 Championship and the Carter’s Tyres South Island Endurance Series. The popularity of both continues largely as a result of the hard work that the organisers put in, plus the continuity that they provide their members (both are run by clubs). Last summer we consistently saw grids with over 20 Formula 1600 (Formula Ford) cars. This year we will see the majority of rounds with over 30 cars.
The South Island Endurance series continues to attract top drivers and particularly some top machinery. 2019 saw a four round series with some very close racing at the pointy end of the field and not a domination by one particular team.
Let’s not forget our NZ Rally Championship. Ben Hunt (Subaru) was a deserved winner of the overall driver’s title for the second time. Rallying in NZ (and particularly the South Island) is in good heart and the icing on the cake was the announcement that Rally NZ is back on the 2020 World Rally Championship calendar. Highlight of the rallying year was Hayden Paddon’s blistering final run at the Ashley Forest Rally Sprint where he shattered the record. For those that were there, it was electrifying!
The worst of 2019
Top of my ‘Worst of 2019’ list would have to be Hayden Paddon not starting in the only two World Rally Championship events he (with the support of his financial backers) entered with M-Sport.
His ‘roll’ in the shake-down leading up to the start of Rally Finland was most unfortunate, particularly from what appeared to be an innocuous rock in the road. The car was a write-off and there was no backup car or Plan-B. OK, these things happen but how many WRC events are cancelled because of environmental conditions. The cancellation of Rally Australia in November due to bush fires was another blow for Paddon due to circumstances out of his control. Is this the end of his WRC career? Well no, as we should see him in a WRC car for Rally New Zealand later in 2020 but it is highly unlikely that he will be able to get another seat in WRC.
Volkswagen’s decision to pull out of all non-electric forms of motorsport is no surprise given their future strategic direction for road car manufacturing to be totally focused on electric power. This is also on my worst of 2019 list because hybrid technology makes more sense than full electric powered vehicles. Do they know something that we don’t?
Predictions
Top of the list would be Andre Heimgartner to win his first Australia Supercars Championship race. Now that Kelly Racing have switched to running Ford Mustang’s for 2020, surely we will see Heimgartner take a step up to the top of the podium.
Scott McLaughlin will be hard to beat (again) in the 2020 Australia Supercars Championship. This is a relatively easy prediction. If anyone is likely to achieve this then it will be fellow Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen.
Liam Lawson will do superbly well in the FIA F3, but in such a competitive category, it will be difficult for any of the top drivers to win the title. First Lawson will take his second TRS title at home in a closely fought duel with fellow Red Bull Junior driver Yuki Tsunoda.
A wild prediction would be Hayden Paddon to beat all other WRC drivers and win 2020 Rally NZ. He knows the roads, the weather, it is his territory and he has the fire in the belly to do so.
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