2023 New Zealand Grand Prix Explained

Type:CUST
Description:Race 3, Round 4 of 5 of the 2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship
Grand Prix:New Zealand
Country:New Zealand
Date:5 February
Year:2023
Official Name:LXVII New Zealand Grand Prix
Course:Permanent racing facility
Location:Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Waikato, New Zealand
Course Mi:2.361
Course Km:3.800
Distance Laps:28
Distance Mi:66.1
Distance Km:106.4
Weather:Friday: Rain
Saturday: Sunny
Sunday: Sunny
Pole Driver:Laurens van Hoepen
Pole Team:M2 Competition
Pole Time:1:29.877
Pole Country:NED
Fast Driver:Laurens van Hoepen
Fast Team:M2 Competition
Fast Time:1:30.061
Fast Lap:10
Fast Country:NED
First Driver:Laurens van Hoepen
First Team:M2 Competition
First Country:NED
Second Driver:Louis Foster
Second Team:Giles Motorsport
Second Country:GBR
Third Driver:Callum Hedge
Third Team:M2 Competition
Third Country:NZL

The 2023 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in northern Waikato on 5 February 2023. It was the sixty-seventh New Zealand Grand Prix and utilised Formula Regional cars. The event also served as the third race of the fourth round of the 2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship. This marked the Grand Prix's return after the 2022 iteration was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the first to feature international drivers since 2020.

Dutch driver Laurens van Hoepen produced a victory in his debut weekend in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship. He won from the highly-fancied Louis Foster, with series leader Callum Hedge rounding out the podium.

Entry list

All drivers compete with identical Tatuus FT-60 chassis cars powered by 2.0L turbocharged Toyota engines. After the 2021 Grand Prix was run without any officially recognized teams, the event returned to a team-based format.[1]

TeamNo.Driver
Hamilton Motorsport Ltd.4 Billy Frazer[2]
84 Chris van der Drift[3]
Kiwi Motorsport5 Lucas Fecury[4]
8 Tom McLennan[5] [6]
21 Josh Mason[7]
51 Jacob Abel[8]
86 Brendon Leitch[9]
98 James Penrose[10]
M2 Competition7 Charlie Wurz[11]
17 Callum Hedge[12]
18 Laurens van Hoepen[13]
23 Liam Sceats[14]
77 David Morales[15]
101 Ryder Quinn[16]
Giles Motorsport15 Kaleb Ngatoa[17]
26 Louis Foster[18]
36 Adam Fitzgerald[19]
55 Breanna Morris[20]
66 Ryan Shehan[21]
88nowrap Chloe Chambers[22]

Qualifying

Qualifying classification

DriverTeam
Q1Q2Q3
118 Laurens van HoepenM2 Competition1:30.2401:30.3891:29.8191
226 Louis FosterGiles Motorsport1:30.4741:30.4651:29.8632
315 Kaleb NgatoaGiles Motorsport1:30.3401:30.4611:29.9783
417 Callum HedgeM2 Competition1:30.4011:30.5401:30.0034
57 Charlie WurzM2 Competition1:30.5521:30.4491:30.0975
623 Liam SceatsM2 Competition1:30.5451:30.6311:30.1336
751 Jacob AbelKiwi Motorsport1:30.7851:30.6671:30.3137
877 David MoralesM2 Competition1:30.6851:30.6201:30.3628
984 Chris van der DriftHamilton Motorsport1:30.7381:30.684data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A9
1021 Josh MasonKiwi Motorsport1:30.9031:30.693data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A10
1166 Ryan ShehanGiles Motorsport1:30.8941:30.698data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A11
1236 Adam FitzgeraldGiles Motorsport1:30.5231:30.821data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A12
1386 Brendon LeitchKiwi Motorsport1:30.7231:30.834data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A13
14101 Ryder QuinnM2 Competition1:30.6881:30.942data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A14
1598 James PenroseKiwi Motorsport1:31.108data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A15
1688 Chloe ChambersGiles Motorsport1:31.290data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A16
175 Lucas FecuryKiwi Motorsport1:31.329data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A17
184 Billy FrazerHamilton Motorsport1:31.708data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A18
1955 Breanna MorrisGiles Motorsport1:31.793data-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A19
-8 Tom McLennanKiwi Motorsportno timedata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/Adata-sort-value="13" align="center" style="background: silver" N/A-
107% time

1:36.557

Source:[23] [24] [25]

Race

Race classification

DriverTeamsLapsTime/Retired
118 Laurens van HoepenM2 Competition2842min 16.570sec1
226 Louis FosterGiles Motorsport28+ 0.846 s2
317 Callum HedgeM2 Competition28+ 12.329 s4
484 Chris van der DriftHamilton Motorsport28+ 12.673 s9
515 Kaleb NgatoaGiles Motorsport28+ 14.923 s3
623 Liam SceatsM2 Competition28+ 15.525 s6
77 Charlie WurzM2 Competition28+ 16.173 s5
851 Jacob AbelKiwi Motorsport28+ 16.604 s7
977 David MoralesM2 Competition28+ 17.499 s8
10101 Ryder QuinnM2 Competition28+ 18.051 s14
1166 Ryan ShehanGiles Motorsport28+ 23.107 s11
1221 Josh MasonKiwi Motorsport28+ 24.859 s10
1398 James PenroseKiwi Motorsport28+ 26.756 s15
1486 Brendon LeitchKiwi Motorsport28+ 28.049 s13
154 Billy FrazerHamilton Motorsport28+ 32.652 s18
1636 Adam FitzgeraldGiles Motorsport28+ 35.056 s12
1788 Chloe ChambersGiles Motorsport28+ 36.342 s16
1855 Breanna MorrisGiles Motorsport28+ 47.490 s19
195 Lucas FecuryKiwi Motorsport28+ 48.132 s17
WD8 Tom McLennanKiwi Motorsport0Withdrew
Fastest lap

Laurens van Hoepen (M2 Competition) – 1:30.061 (lap 10)

Source:[26]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Homologation for FT-60s W Series stand in completed . 2022-06-12 . Toyota NZ . en-nz . 2022-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220612175503/https://www.toyota.co.nz/toyota-racing/castrol-toyota-racing-series/news/2022/may/homologation-for-ft-60s-w-series-stand-in-completed/ . live .
  2. Web site: 2023-01-20 . Frazer locked in for Manfeild and NZ Grand Prix . 2023-01-20 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  3. Web site: 2023-01-29 . Van Der Drift gets wild card for NZ GP. 2023-01-20 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  4. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2022-09-01 . Lucas Fecury the first driver to sign up for 2023 Toyota Racing Series . 2022-09-01 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2022-11-07 . Aussie Porsche racer McLennan returns to single seaters for 2023 TRS . 2022-11-07 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  6. Web site: More drivers confirmed for the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand . 2022-12-29 . Twitter . en.
  7. Web site: 2022-12-28 . Mason signs up with Kiwi Motorsport for 2023 New Zealand campaign . 2022-12-28 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  8. Web site: 4 January 2023 . Indy Nxt racer more than Abel to succeed in Formula Regional Oceania . 4 January 2023 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  9. Web site: 2023-01-31 . Brendon Leitch excited to be joining the NZ Grand Prix grid this weekend . 2023-01-31 . Talk Motorsport . en-UK.
  10. Web site: 2022-12-23 . Penrose finally gets his chance to shine . 2022-12-23 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  11. Web site: 2023-01-05 . New Zealand campaign will start Wurz's 2023 season . 2023-01-05 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  12. Web site: 2022-10-11 . Hedge back in single seaters for TRS championship challenge . 2022-11-03 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  13. Web site: 2023-01-02 . Van Hoepen joins Castrol Toyota FR Oceania for final two rounds . 2023-01-02 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-NZ.
  14. Web site: 2022-12-29 . Sceats joins race to inaugural Castrol Toyota Formula Regional title . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  15. Web site: 2022-12-10 . Morales adds more US flavour to 2023 Castrol TRS Championship . 2022-12-10 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  16. Web site: 2022-10-11 . Quinn to take on 2023 Castrol TRS with M2 Competition . 2022-10-11 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  17. Web site: 2023-01-02 . Twenty cars to start 67th New Zealand Grand Prix . 2023-01-02 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-NZ.
  18. Web site: 2023-01-26 . Indy Pro 2000 champ joins title chase in NZ . 2023-01-26 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  19. Web site: 2023-01-11 . Fitzgerald in for last three rounds of Formula Regional Oceania . 2023-01-11 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  20. Web site: 2022-12-20 . Morris confirmed for Castrol Toyota FR Oceania Championship . 2022-12-20 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  21. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2022-10-19 . US F4 race-winner Ryan Shehan signs up for Toyota Racing Series . 2022-10-19 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2022-12-06 . Chambers to build on W Series experience with NZ's Castrol TRS Championship . 2022-12-06 . Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ . en-UK.
  23. Web site: 2023-01-20 . CTFROC - Q8 - CTFROC - Qualify 1 . 2023-02-05 . MYLAPS Speedhive . en-NZ.
  24. Web site: 2023-01-20 . CTFROC - Q8 - CTFROC - Qualify 2 . 2023-02-05 . MYLAPS Speedhive . en-NZ.
  25. Web site: 2023-01-20 . CTFROC - Q8 - CTFROC - Qualify 3 . 2023-02-05 . MYLAPS Speedhive . en-NZ.
  26. Web site: 2023-02-05 . CTFROC - R25 - CTFROC - NZ Grand Prix (28 Laps) . 2023-02-05 . MYLAPS Speedhive . en-NZ.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2023 New Zealand Grand Prix".

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