By Dale Budge
Winner of the 66th New Zealand Grand Prix Shane van Gisbergen still doesn’t know how he managed to storm through the field from last to win the famous race at Hampton Downs.
A mishap just before he was due to head out onto the track for the start of the race saw him have to start the race from pit lane and work his way from the back.
“I wasn’t really happy with myself,” Van Gisbergen told Counties Sports Hub. “It was my mistake. I have never ever done that before and I didn’t know what the process was to clean up the car.
“I heard everyone take off at the start and I was just waiting and waiting for the green light and when I came out I wasn’t too far behind.”
When asked of how he managed to pass the entire field Van Gisbergen was at a loss to explain his wizardry.
“I don’t know,” he said. “The car was as it was all weekend – just faultless, so much grip and perfect balance.
“I thought it was going to be hard from 10th and then I pressed the fire extinguisher button and we were off the back from pit lane so I didn’t think that was going to happen.
“I was watching the leader and we were catching him so I always knew there was a chance and I kept driving as hard as I could.
“It is certainly up there as one of my best [drives]. It is something you will look back on in years to come – I don’t think I have ever won a race from pit lane before and these cars are hard to pass.”
His victory means he joins a list that includes the likes of Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Sir Jackie Stewart, Greg Murphy and Liam Lawson as New Zealand Grand Prix winners.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet but seeing all those names and knowing who has won it and what it means is a pretty cool thing,” Van Gisbergen said. “I didn’t allow myself to think about what it would feel like so it will sink in over the next day or two but still on a high right now.”
And what was he planning to do to celebrate?
“Red Bull (his main sponsor) mixed with something,” he laughed.
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