FIA NZ Grand Prix returns for 2023
The FIA sanctioned New Zealand Grand Prix will return for its 67th running as part of the international Castrol Toyota Racing Series.
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park will host the NZ Grand Prix, first held in 1950, for the penultimate round of the five series open wheel showcase.
For the past 15 years the Grand Prix has been attached to the TRS as its signature race, and alongside the Macau Grand Prix, is the only other standalone national GP sanctioned by the FIA.
The GP will feature an F1 style qualifying where a Q1, Q2 and Q3 format will narrow it down to a top-ten shootout for the pole position. The race will also carry a $10,000 dollar purse, with $5000 going to the winner, $3000 to P2, and $2000 for the third place getter.
Two young Australians are so far enlisted to take on the international and local field, with Porsche Sprint Challenge racer Tom McLennan from the McElrea Racing Team, and Ryder Quinn from the Formula Ford national series, who will race with M2 Competition.
New Zealand’s Liam Lawson, now an F2 driver with F1 practice sessions under his belt, takes two wins in Toyota Racing Series opener in 2020
One of the local racers will be Callum Hedge, who races in the Porsche Carrera Cup. The Auckland born 18-year-old was a former racer in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) and is looking forward to being back in an open wheeler.
“I’m really looking forward to competing in my very first New Zealand Grand Prix,” Hedge commented.
“It’s such an incredible event with such rich history. If I wanted to win any race on my calendar for next year that has to be the one.
“Putting my name alongside some of motorsport’s all-time greats would mean so much to me, but it’s far from being an easy race so I’m going to have to be fully on my A-Game for the entire weekend to have a chance. And that’s going to be the case for all the competitors. It’s the biggest open wheeler race we have in New Zealand.”
Matthew Payne dominated the 2021 Toyota Gazoo Racing Series
New Zealand Motorsport manager Nicolas Caillol, is excited to have an international field return for the country’s biggest race.
“It’s going to be great to be back with a full international field at the Grand Prix and great that the venue for that will be the international Hampton Downs circuit, which is just a perfect challenge for the drivers and teams,” Caillol said.
“It’s a massive weekend of motorsport for everyone and particularly for us as we will have both our TRS Championship and the Toyota 86 Championship racing that weekend. We have no idea who will win but we are expecting plenty of action, lots of drama and a few surprises along the way.”
TRS has one of the best records in junior formulae for the proportion of its drivers over the years who have made it to Formula One or achieved other notable successes. Current F1 aces Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, Nicolas Latifi, Lance Stroll and Guanyu Zhou have all raced in TRS. Norris and Stroll were both champions.
2023 Castrol Toyota Racing Series
13-15 January 2023 – Highlands Motorsport Park
20-22 January 2023 – Teretonga Park Raceway
27-29 January 2023 – Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon
3-5 February 2023 – Hampton Downs – 67th New Zealand Grand Prix
10-12 February 2023 – Taupo International Motorsport Park
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