Visa Las Vegas

Formula 1

In this Liberty-Netflix era of the sport, Sin City has replaced Monaco, Monza, and Silverstone as the hub of F1. Sure, the spiritual home is still on the other side of the Atlantic, but the biggest show takes place in Nevada.

While the Norris-Verstappen battle rages out front, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson is fighting even harder to secure his place for 2025. Three races in, there is no question that he has made his mark…both with stolid results and a helping of controversy…but so has Argentina’s Franco Colapinto, who is being talked about as a serious contender to join the Red Bull family.

“I was there last year watching and wishing I was driving, so it’s an exciting feeling going into the week knowing I’ll be in the car this time…it’s an iconic place. The atmosphere is very different to most places, but I won’t be experiencing much else; I just focused on driving fast! Technically, I’ve done three laps of Vegas, so that’s my prep going into it,” Lawson jokes. “Obviously, we do a lot of simulator work, but it’s going to be extremely different in an F1 car.

Vegas made the halfway point of Lawson’s own drive to survive. While the 22-year-old has been a match for on-track attention, the scrutiny off it has seen him discover the pitfalls of having a voice when the world is listening. The prime example was his comments about McLaren having the incorrect anthem playing, which saw him engulfed in a tornado of mostly negative opinions.

Right now, his only concern is the unique conditions presented by the Las Vegas streets, “The track changes a bit as well. It’s unique in that the streets are opened up during the day and that mixes things up. The track can get quite dirty. It looks quite tricky with a lot of combined braking zones in places. It’s a fast track; obviously we drive down the strip with a very long straight, which allows for some overtaking. It looks like it’s going to be quite cold conditions, similar to last year, so it’s going to be a challenge for sure, but I’m super pumped to be racing under the lights

When you factor in the intense level of attention with the furious debate over who Red Bull will choose….and which car they will be in, it’s a surprise Lawson can block out the noise and focus on what he can control. He has limited his time on social media and shifted all his focus to learning every inch of the Las Vegas Street Circuit. The goal is simple: let his results do the talking.

For the record, he has outraced but not outqualified RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda in his first three races back in F1.

Formula One – Las Vegas GP

Qualifying – Saturday 7 pm

Grand Prix – Sunday 7 pm

Sky Sport

Giltrap Motorsport Doubles Down

After a year away from the GT New Zealand Championship, Auckland's Marco Giltrap is returning to regain his crown. The 2022-23 series winner is back with Porsche, but this time in the new 992 GT3.

Giltrap will lead a two-car team in GTNZ this season, sharing Garage 66 with Junior Scholarship winner William Exton. The Marlborough racer is contesting the GT4 class in the new McLaren Artura and looking to emulate Brock Gilchrist's success in winning his class in the inaugural season of the innovative scholarship programme.

Along with Garage 66, Marco will also carry a new number on the black and white Porsche 911: 66, a reference to the year (1966) that Giltrap Group was founded by Marco's grandfather, Sir Colin Giltrap. This number holds a special significance as it symbolises the team's legacy and the incredible history of the Giltrap group on racetracks in New Zealand and worldwide.

Exton is the latest driver to wear the Giltrap Group colours, having edged out close to a hundred of New Zealand's most promising young race drivers to win the coveted Giltrap Motorsport Junior Scholarship and a seat in a brand-new McLaren race car. 

The 2021 Kartsport New Zealand Sprint Champion has made a quick impression since graduation to cars, finishing third in a closely fought Toyota 86 Championship in his sophomore season.

The Blenheim racer will benefit from Giltrap’s two busy years of racing in both hemispheres, along with Carrera Cup campaigns in Asia and Europe; he also won the 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Championship alongside fellow Kiwi Chris van der Drift, the duo winning an impressive 11 of the 12 races.

GT New Zealand – Taupo Motorsport Park

Race 1 - 3 pm Saturday

Race 2 - 12 pm Sunday

Race 3 - 4 pm Sunday

Stuff Speed Hub