2025 New Zealand Grand Prix

2025 New Zealand Grand Prix
Race 3, Round 5 of 5 of the 2025 Formula Regional Oceania Championship
Race details
Date 9 February 2025
Official name LXIX New Zealand Grand Prix
Location Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, New Zealand
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.100 km (2.548 miles)
Distance 28 laps, 114.8 km (71.3 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver mtec Motorsport
Time 1:29.032
Fastest lap
Driver Matías Zagazeta M2 Competition
Time 1:29.385 on lap 19
Podium
First Giles Motorsport
Second mtec Motorsport
Third M2 Competition

The 2025 New Zealand Grand Prix was an event for open wheel racing cars held at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Otago on 9 February 2025. It was the sixty-ninth New Zealand Grand Prix and utilised Formula Regional cars. The event served as the final race of the 2025 Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

The race was won by reigning Supercars champion, Will Brown.[1] This marked the first time an Australian had won the marquee event since Warwick Brown in 1975. The podium was rounded out by Zack Scoular and Arvid Lindblad.

Earlier in the weekend, Lindblad had also secured the Formula Regional Oceania Championship and became the first Briton to win the title since Lando Norris.

Background

The event was held at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell for the second time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 7–9 February. The Grand Prix was the final race of the final round of the 2024 Formula Regional Oceania Championship and the 69th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix.[2]

Heading into the weekend, Arvid Lindblad was on the verge of securing the championship. The Brit held a 59-point lead over second-placed driver, Nikita Johnson.[3] After finishing on the podium in the first race, his points lead had become insurmountable and he was declared the winner of the championship.[4] As a result, Lindblad's car number was changed from 4 to 1 for the final race to commemorate his title victory.

Both Triple Eight Race Engineering Supercars drivers, Will Brown and Broc Feeney, were announced to drive in the marquee event.[5] Having already competed in the first two rounds this season, this marked Brown's first championship open-wheeler drive since 2016 and the first ever for Feeney.

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on 8 February 2025, at 11:50 local time (UTC+12:00)

Qualifying classification

Pos. No. Driver Team Qualifying times Final
grid
Q1 Q2 Q3
1 93 Broc Feeney mtec Motorsport 1:29.660 1:29.688 1:29.032 1
2 87 Will Brown Giles Motorsport 1:29.421 1:29.452 1:29.186 2
3 5 Patrick Heuzenroeder mtec Motorsport 1:29.320 1:29.495 1:29.216 61
4 3 Zack Scoular M2 Competition 1:29.600 1:29.672 1:29.222 3
5 1 Arvid Lindblad M2 Competition 1:29.418 1:29.597 1:29.226 4
6 32 Shawn Rashid mtec Motorsport 1:29.733 1:29.620 1:29.503 5
7 17 Nikita Johnson M2 Competition 1:29.856 1:29.803 1:29.706 7
8 22 Jett Bowling Kiwi Motorsport 1:30.153 1:29.891 1:30.146 8
9 9 Nicholas Monteiro mtec Motorsport 1:30.015 1:29.976 N/A 9
10 23 Michael Shin M2 Competition 1:29.507 1:30.035 N/A 10
11 15 Nicolas Stati Kiwi Motorsport 1:30.179 1:30.209 N/A 11
12 8 Matías Zagazeta M2 Competition 1:29.656 1:30.312 N/A 12
13 69 Sebastian Manson M2 Competition 1:30.170 1:30.476 N/A 13
14 77 Enzo Yeh M2 Competition 1:30.254 N/A N/A 14
15 41 Alex Crosbie Giles Motorsport 1:30.304 N/A N/A 15
16 88 James Lawley Kiwi Motorsport 1:30.594 N/A N/A 16
17 13 Barrett Wolfe Giles Motorsport 1:31.070 N/A N/A 17
107% time: 1:35.264
Source:[6][7][8]

Notes

  • ^1Patrick Heuzenroeder qualified 3rd, but was required to start the race from sixth for causing a collision in the previous race.

Race

The race was held on 9 February 2025, at 16:44 local time (UTC+12:00), and was run for 27 laps.

Race classification

Pos. No. Driver Teams Laps Time/Retired Grid
1 87 Will Brown Giles Motorsport 27 43min 55.455sec 2
2 3 Zack Scoular mtec Motorsport 27 + 0.963 3
3 1 Arvid Lindblad M2 Competition 27 + 1.860 4
4 32 Shawn Rashid mtec Motorsport 27 + 11.372 5
5 23 Michael Shin M2 Competition 27 + 11.726 10
6 93 Broc Feeney mtec Motorsport 27 + 13.015 1
7 22 Jett Bowling Kiwi Motorsport 27 + 14.452 8
8 17 Nikita Johnson M2 Competition 27 + 15.418 7
9 69 Sebastian Manson M2 Competition 27 + 16.835 13
10 41 Alex Crosbie Giles Motorsport 27 + 17.296 15
11 15 Nicolas Stati Kiwi Motorsport 27 + 29.426 11
12 9 Nicholas Monteiro mtec Motorsport 27 + 30.214 9
13 13 Barrett Wolfe Giles Motorsport 27 + 34.186 17
Ret 8 Matías Zagazeta M2 Competition 20 Retired 12
Ret 88 James Lawley Kiwi Motorsport 11 Accident damage 16
Ret 5 Patrick Heuzenroeder mtec Motorsport 8 Suspension 6
Ret 77 Enzo Yeh M2 Competition 1 Accident 14
Fastest lap: Matías Zagazeta (M2 Competition) – 1:29.385 (lap 19)
Source:[9]

References

  1. ^ "Brown wins New Zealand Grand Prix to break 50-year drought". Speedcafe.com. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  2. ^ "NZ Grand Prix – Lindblad's crowning glory?". Talk Motorsport. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Lindblad 'sends it' to fourth straight feature win in New Zealand". Velocity News. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Arvid Lindblad crowned NZ Toyota Formula Regional champion". Talk Motorsport. 8 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  5. ^ "Broc Feeney confirmed for NZ Grand Prix outing". Velocity News. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. ^ "69th New Zealand Grand Prix - Highlands - CTFROC Q1". MYLAPS Speedhive. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  7. ^ "69th New Zealand Grand Prix - Highlands - CTFROC Q2". MYLAPS Speedhive. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  8. ^ "69th New Zealand Grand Prix - Highlands - CTFROC Q3". MYLAPS Speedhive. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ "69th New Zealand Grand Prix - Highlands - CTFROC 69th New Zealand Grand Prix". MYLAPS Speedhive. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.