Kiwi F1 drivers

As a Kiwi F1F1 is the pinnacle of open wheel,  single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally.... There's more... Fan, I must shout out to New Zealand’s former drivers. There have been ten to date, from Bruce MclarenBruce McLaren was a New Zealand racing car designer, driver, engineer, and inventor. He founded the McLaren team which went... There's more... in the 50s to Liam LawsonLiam Lawson is a New Zealand motor racing driver and a past Toyota Racing Series champion. Liam is a member... There's more... becoming an official F1NewbieF1Newbies is a term that embraces anyone and everyone new to the sport or existing fans curious to dig deeper... There's more... by completing a formal practice session in SpaThe abbreviated name for the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps frequently referred to as Spa, is a 7.004 km motor-racing circuit located... There's more... this year. 

Bruce McLarenMcLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team, under the Marque of the Mclaren Group, based at the McLaren... There's more... (1958 – 1970)

The name McLaren is as famous as FerrariScuderia Ferrari S.p.A. is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari based in Marinello, Italy The 2022 Ferrari... There's more..., MercedesMercedes-Benz, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer... There's more... and WilliamsWilliams Racing is one of Formula 1's longest-running and most successful teams. Founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick... There's more... in the F1 paddock. Bruce McLaren from Auckland, New Zealand struggled with illness as a child and would spend hours driving cars around the backyard. Little did they know then that he would go on to become an F1 icon and the namesake of the Mclaren F1 Team

McLaren won four Grand PrixA Grand Prix is a motorsport series sanctioned by the FIA and held in various countries for a world title.... There's more... races from 100 starts. He was killed instantly, aged 32, while testing a race car in England.

Today his memory is maintained in his home country through the Bruce McLaren Trust which promotes the legacy of Bruse, supports young drivers and engineers as well as maintaining key relationships with industry and educators. Visit the Bruce Mclaren Trust website – here

Tony Shelly (1962)

Tony competed in one F1 race, the 1962 British Grand Prix, and retired after six laps with engine problems. One reporter described him as “steady if unspectacular”. 

The Wellington-born driverOK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... went on to own a string of successful car dealerships and spent time between New Zealand and Hawaii. He became a US citizen in 1975 and passed from cancer in 1998.

Chris Amon (1963 – 1976)

Considered to be the unluckiest driver of his time – Amon had 96 starts with five polePole (Pole Position) is the first grid box closest to the start line. The rest of the field lines up, in pairs behind... There's more... positions and 11 podiumPodium is the name of the platform that is used for the prizegiving ceremony following the race. Prizes are awarded... There's more... finishes, but not a win to his name. 

Widely regarded as one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix. His reputation for bad luck was such that fellow driver Mario Andretti once joked that “if he became an undertaker, people would stop dying”

In 1967 he drove for Ferrari, finishing fifth in the drivers’ championship. Amon died of cancer in 2016, aged 73.

Denny Hulme (1965 – 1974)

The only Kiwi to have won the F1 drivers’ championship, achieved in 1967 driving for BrabhamBrabham is the common name for Motor Racing Developments Ltd., a British racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing team.... There's more.... 

Denny won eight Grand Prix races from 112 starts and was noticed for only taking a single pole, a record for a world championThe world champion is the winner of the driver's title for the year proceeding the current year. The world champion... There's more.... He partnered with Bruce Mclaren where the two became great mates. 

He was not your typical F1 driver and cared not for stupidity. Nicknamed ‘The Bear’ he was known for telling the media that they were idiots or just ignoring them.

Motueka-born Hulme retired from F1 in 1974 and died of a heart attack while competing in the 1992 Bathurst at Mt Panorama.

Howden Ganley (1971 – 1974)

A former mechanic from Hamilton, Howden had four fourth places from 35 starts. In the 1960s Howden made his way to Europe with 25 pounds to his name and was one of the first to be employed by the McLaren team in 1964. 

Post F1, Howden set up a racing car business, was secretary of the British Racing Drivers’ club and moved to the States where he took up residence in California.

Graham McRae (1973)

The driver from Wellington was an accomplished driver with success in Formula 5000, however, his F1 career was brief. He had one entry, driving for Williams in the 1973 GP, and retired on the first lap

After driving, he worked as an engineerRace Engineers are a team of experts who manage all aspects of the race and communicate with the driver when... There's more... and race car builder with some success. Graham passed away in 2021.

John Nicholson (1975)

The Aucklander, born racer’s only F1 start was the 1975 British Grand Prix where he was classifiedTo be classified is the formal result as recorded by the FIA. Official places are recorded for qualifying and finishing.... There's more... as 17th, one of many drivers who crashed in terrible weather. 

John was another to work for the McLaren team, as an accomplished engine builder with two F1 titles to his credit.

Mike Thackwell (1980, 1984)

From Auckland, Mike was considered the youngest driver to have started an F1 GP, at age 19. In total he had five entries with two retirements and no point finishes. 

His retirement from the 1980 Canadian GP was due to Tyrrell team ordersTeam orders is a scenario whereby the team's principal and or strategist will decide what is best for the team... There's more... requiring him to hand his car to their No 1The Number 1 is reserved for the current world champion, as an option for them to use while they defend... There's more... driver following a first lap crash.

Brendon HartleyBrendon Hartley (26) is a professional racing driver from New Zealand and the country's last F1 driver, having driven for... There's more... (2017-2018)

Bendon first tasted F1 in 2008 when he was part of a Red BullRed Bull Racing, also simply known as Red Bull or RBR and competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing in 2022,... There's more... shake down. Then in 2013 he filled a sim driver role for Mecedes before replacing Pierre GaslyPierre Gasly (No 10) is a French-born F1 driver contracted to Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2022.  Read more about Pierre on... There's more... at Toro RossoScuderia Toro Rosso, commonly known as Toro Rosso, was an Italian Formula One racing team. One of two Formula One... There's more..., as Gasly was promoted to a seat in the Red Bull team. 

With 25 starts he scored a total of 4 pointsFormula 1 runs two competitions over the course of the season, the Constructor's title and the Driver's title. Points are... There's more....

I was fortunate to be at Austin Texas for his first outting, then in Mexico and Melbourne the following year.

Liam Lawson (2022…)

Current F2A second-tier single-seater, open wheeler series run by the FIA as a feeder category to assist developing drivers gain experience... There's more... Driver, Red Bull Academy Driver and reserve driverWith a team title as well as a driver title at stake, teams need to start the car even if... There's more... for Red Bull and Alpha Tauri, Liam tested the Alpha Tauri pre-season and ran an FP1Free Practice consists of three sessions (FP1, FP2 & FP3) held prior to qualifying. It is referred to as 'free... There's more... session at Spa this year. 

Let’s see what the future holds for this talented young Kiwi (who I “raced” once at Hampton Downs – By raced, I mean he was streeks ahead of the formula FordFormula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single-seater, open-wheel formula racing. The worldwide... There's more... fieldThe field is a reference to the full grid of cars, from pole to the backmarkers. Consider it in the... There's more..., and I was streeks behind so we shared the same space on the track…)