Shane van Gisbergen and co driver Richie Stanaway win the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000. Photo: Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics / PHOTOSPORT
Formula 1 star Liam Lawson got to try out the car of another New Zealand champion driver over the Christmas period.
Lawson got to drive Shane van Gisbergen's Bathurst-winning Supercar at Highlands Motorsport Park.
It was part of a series of drives Lawson took part in at the Central Otago circuit.
Liam Lawson drivers an Australian Supercar, 2025. Photo: supplied / Instagram
Lawson drives Formula 1 for Racing Bulls, which has the same sponsor as van Gisbergen's former Supercars team.
That car, which won the 2023 race at Mount Panorama, is now based in New Zealand with Tony Quinn, who owns Highlands Motorsport Park and is part owner of Triple Eight Racing.
Lawson drove the Supercar in Red Bull Ampol Racing's 2025 livery.
The car was also driven in New Zealand by Lawson's incoming F1 teammate Arvid Lindblad, who won this year's Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand.
Lawson spoke about the drive in a Highlands social media post.
"It's such a fun car to drive," he said.
"I loved it. It's the most raw car to drive, with the big sequential shifter and you've got three pedals. No assists. It's just very raw, very loud."
Lawson took passengers for rides on a day that saw over $50,000 raised for charity.
New Zealand will host two Supercars rounds for the first time in 2026, at Taupō and Christchurch's Ruapuna.
The 2026 Supercars Championship commences in Sydney on February 20-22.
Shane van Gisbergen now races in NASCAR.
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