Liam Lawson Tests Bathurst-Winning Supercar During New Zealand Visit

Liam Lawson, the fast-rising Formula 1 talent, swapped Formula 1’s high-tech cockpit for something a bit more old-school over the holidays: a roaring, Bathurst-winning Supercar. And not just any Supercar—this beast once steered to victory by his fellow Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen.

Lawson put the championship-winning machine through its paces at Highlands Motorsport Park, tucked away in Central Otago’s rugged landscape. The car, still dripping in Red Bull Ampol Racing’s 2025 colors, now lives under the watch of Tony Quinn, the motorsport mogul who owns both Highlands and has a stake in Triple Eight Racing.

Talk about a different beast. Compared to his usual F1 ride, this thing was raw. No fancy driver aids, just pure manual muscle. Lawson called it a brutal, physical grind—exactly what you’d expect from a machine built for Mount Panorama’s concrete jungle.

Oh, and it wasn’t just Lawson behind the wheel. His future Racing Bulls F1 teammate, Arvid Lindblad—fresh off dominating the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship—also got a shot at taming the Supercar monster.

Beyond the track time, there was a bigger win. Lawson’s passenger rides at the event raked in over 50 grand for charity, because why not mix speed with generosity?

The timing’s no coincidence. New Zealand’s motorsport scene is heating up, with Supercars doubling down on the country in 2026. Two rounds—Taupō and Christchurch’s Ruapuna circuit—are now on the calendar, kicking off a season that’ll start in Sydney come February.

Meanwhile, van Gisbergen? Gone Stateside, chasing his NASCAR dreams. Guess someone had to keep the Supercar warm.

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