Sebring has its own unique challenges for McLaughlin

In 1959 Kiwi F1 driver Bruce McLaren won the United States Grand Prix held at the Sebring International Raceway, driving a Cooper-Climax. He was aged 22 years 104 days and became the youngest ever GP winner. It was the first and only occasion that a F1 Grand Prix was held at the circuit in Florida, USA, and the last GP of that season.

Fifty years later Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport took its drivers to the fifth round of the US Formula 4 Championship at the same circuit and convincingly dominated the weekend. It’s drivers Jose Blanco and Joshua Car won the first and third races while Jay Howard Driving Developments driver Christian Brooks won race 2. (Note: Jay Howard competed in NZ in the 2005/06 Toyota Racing Series with Karcher racing).

Now current Australian Supercars Champion Scott McLaughlin will test an IndyCar single seater with his Team Penske on 13 January at Sebring.

Known for the 12 Hours of Sebring sportscar race, it is one of the oldest tracks in the US that actually occupies part of the Sebring Regional Airport. It was originally built as Hendricks Army Airfield as a World War II training base for the US Army Air Force.

Its potential for a race track was realised with the staging of the first 12 Hours of Sebring in March 1952. This year the World Endurance Championship held a round called the 1000 miles of Sebring, the sixth round of the 2018/19 WEC.

“Sebring is often used by IndyCar teams for testing because of the weather,” commented Garry Orton, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Team Principal.

“It’s a very fast track because it is so open with some very quick corners with huge G-forces. It is quite bumpy in some places, particularly in turn one which is both fast and bumpy all the way through it.

“The last corner is blind and if wet can be very slippery.

“I’ve no doubt that McLaughlin will adapt pretty quickly.”

The F1 Grand Prix at Sebring was the ninth and last round of the 1959 championship. It was McLaren’s team mate Jack Brabham who won his first of three driver’s championship that season. McLaren finishing sixth overall.