2020 is lining up to be one of New Zealand’s biggest in single seater racing with a large contingent of Kiwi drivers set to compete on the world stage. There appears to be an equal amount of interest amongst the drivers in series across the Americas, Asia and into Europe.
Nick Cassidy looks to defend his 2019 Super Formula Series title in Japan. The seven-round series starts and finishes at the Suzuka Circuit with the first round underway 5 April.
Fresh from accepting his FIA Chinese Formula 4 Championship trophy at the FIA Awards in Paris, Conrad Clark has undertaken testing in the Asian Formula 3 series in preparation for a potential drive in 2020.
The Middle East will see the start of both the 2020 FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 Championships. Cantabrian Marcus Armstrong moves up to F2 and will be racing with ART Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson is expected to compete again in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and it will be of interest in which team the Red Bull Junior driver will sign with.
Five-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will have his 18th consecutive season in the category in 2020 with Chip Ganassi Racing. Racing gets underway at St Petersburg 15 March. This season will see 17 races with five on oval courses.
Hunter McElrea finished runner up in the 2019 USF2000 Championship, just missing out on a scholarship drive in the next level of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires driver development program. It is reported that he has been working hard in the US putting a sponsorship package together to compete in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship.
Ronan Murphy is currently competing in the NZ Formula Ford Championship and is just back from testing a US F4 car at Buttonwillow Raceway in California with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport. While not yet confirming his 2020 program, Murphy has signaled a clear intention to compete in this category.
Josh Bethune had an average season competing in the 2019 F4 US Championship Powered by Honda with Primus Racing and finishing 23rd. Don’t be surprised to see him back in the States but this time stepping up to the F3 Americas Championship.
The 2019/20 Formula E season is already underway with the opening two races in Saudia Arabia. Brendon Hartley and Mitch Evans are competing in the 14 race program across five continents ending in London 26 July 2020.
Chelsea Herbert is the first Kiwi driver to be confirmed for the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series. She was unsuccessful in her bid to compete in the 2020 Formula W Series but has signaled her intention to compete in single seaters. It will be interesting to see what opportunities may open for her once the TRS season gets underway at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell in January with an international audience watching.
The 2020 season has the potential for over ten Kiwi drivers competing in single seater series outside of New Zealand. It could prove to be one of the best.
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