.webp)
Kia ora, motorsport fans.
Season update (September 2026): We're now deep into the 2026 season — Azerbaijan is this weekend, and 8 rounds remain. This guide has been updated with results and what's still to come for Lawson, SVG, and our IndyCar duo.
With Liam Lawson lining up for Racing Bulls in Formula 1, Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) hunting trophies in the NASCAR Cup Series, and Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong holding it down in IndyCar, our weekends have been packed. Add to that the massive local action with the Christchurch Supercars at Ruapuna in April, and 2026 has already delivered.
Keeping up with our international drivers usually means sleep deprivation. Here is your updated guide to what's been, and what's still to come.
1. Liam Lawson (Formula 1 — Racing Bulls)
Lawson is in his first full-time season with Racing Bulls (Red Bull's junior team), partnered with British rookie Arvid Lindblad in the No. 30 car. After a brutal 2025 that saw him demoted from the senior Red Bull team after just two races, he has bounced back impressively.
2026 season so far: Lawson sits 9th in the championship with 24 points through 16 rounds. His best results have been a 7th in China (where he also scored sprint points) and a 6th in Monaco. He briefly stepped up to the senior Red Bull car mid-season when Isack Hadjar was injured, delivering solid points before returning to Racing Bulls. It has been one of the sport's better redemption arcs of the year.
What's Still to Come: The Remaining Prime-Time Windows
8 races remain in the 2026 F1 season. For Kiwi fans, the key remaining NZT-friendly windows are:
- Singapore Grand Prix – Sunday, 11 October
- The Vibe: Night race locally, so this lights up at approximately 2:00 AM NZT Sunday night/Monday morning. Set the alarm — it's often one of the most exciting circuits of the year.
- Las Vegas Grand Prix – Friday, 21 November (NZT)
- The Vibe: The one golden slot in the Americas calendar. Vegas runs Saturday night US time, which means a Sunday evening NZT start — approximately 7:00 PM. One of the few American races you can watch with a beer rather than a coffee.
- The Midnight Grinders Still to Come: Austin (Oct 26 NZT), Mexico City (Nov 2 NZT), Brazil (Nov 9 NZT), Qatar (Nov 30 NZT), and Abu Dhabi (Dec 7 NZT) all land in the Monday morning WFH slot.
What Already Happened: The Season So Far
For the record, here's how the prime-time races played out earlier in the season:
- Australian Grand Prix (March 8): ✅ ~5:00 PM NZT. Lawson qualified 8th and finished 13th in difficult conditions.
- Chinese Grand Prix (March 15): ✅ ~8:00 PM NZT. Lawson's breakthrough — 7th in both the sprint and the race.
- Japanese Grand Prix (March 29): ✅ ~6:00 PM NZT. Lawson qualified 14th and finished 9th.
2. Shane van Gisbergen (NASCAR Cup Series — Trackhouse Racing, No. 97)
SVG is in his second full Cup Series season, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing under a Red Bull livery. For Kiwis, NASCAR races are a Monday morning affair — perfect for the second screen while you pretend to work.
2026 season so far: Two Cup wins — Watkins Glen (May 10, a stunning come-from-behind victory from 29 seconds down with 18 laps to go) and Sonoma (June 28, a wire-to-wire dominant performance). His Watkins Glen win in particular was one of the most talked-about drives of the NASCAR season. He also doubled up with an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Sonoma the day before, sweeping the weekend. He has 8 Cup Series career wins — equal second all-time on road courses alongside Tony Stewart, one behind Jeff Gordon.
Playoffs: SVG made the NASCAR Playoffs field on the back of his two wins. His oval form has been the limiting factor, but his road course ceiling is in a class of its own.
Road Courses Still to Come
- Charlotte ROVAL (October): One of his best circuits. Set your alarms for Monday morning NZT.
What Already Happened: Road Course Wins
- COTA (March 9 NZT): Finished 2nd — strong result on debut at the circuit in Cup.
- Watkins Glen (May 11 NZT): ✅ Won. One of the drives of the year in any series.
- Sonoma (June 29 NZT): ✅ Won. Weekend sweep with the O'Reilly race on Saturday.
3. Scott Dixon & Marcus Armstrong (IndyCar)
The IndyCar season is now effectively done for 2026, but what a season it was.
The Indy 500 (May 25 NZT): The 110th Indianapolis 500 was one for the ages. Armstrong, driving the No. 66 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing, charged from 16th on the grid to battle for the lead in the final laps before finishing 5th in what was the closest Indy 500 in history — decided by 0.023 seconds. His teammate Felix Rosenqvist won the race for Meyer Shank Racing. Armstrong extended his deal with the team through 2027. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 9) had a competitive mid-season campaign.
Dixon and Armstrong race for different teams — Dixon is at Chip Ganassi, Armstrong at Meyer Shank — but both are flying the NZ flag at the top level of American open-wheel racing.
4. The 'Super Weekends' — What Already Happened
The big multi-series clashes earlier in the season were:
- The Triple Crown Weekend (May 25/26 NZT):
- F1: Canadian Grand Prix
- IndyCar: Indianapolis 500 — Armstrong finished 5th in a heartbreaker of a finish
- NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600
- The April Middle East Overlap (April 19/20 NZT):
- F1: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- IndyCar: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
- NASCAR: Kansas Speedway
5. What's Still to Come: The Final 8 Rounds
We're now in the deep end of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the rest of the calendar and approximate NZT viewing windows:
- Azerbaijan (Sep 26–28): Race Saturday, approximately 1:00 AM Sunday NZT — Midnight Grind territory.
- Singapore (Oct 9–11): Night race, approximately 2:00 AM NZT Monday.
- Austin/COTA (Oct 23–25): Approximately 11:00 AM NZT Monday.
- Mexico City (Oct 30 – Nov 1): Approximately 9:00 AM NZT Monday.
- Brazil/São Paulo (Nov 6–8): Approximately 4:00 AM NZT Monday.
- Las Vegas (Nov 19–21): 🌟 ~7:00 PM NZT Sunday — the last golden viewing window of the season.
- Qatar (Nov 27–29): Approximately 2:00 AM NZT Monday.
- Abu Dhabi (Dec 4–6): Approximately 12:00 AM NZT Monday — season finale.
6. How to Watch in NZ
- Formula 1: Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now (live). F1 TV Pro available for onboard cameras and telemetry.
- IndyCar: Sky Sport holds the exclusive rights for NZ.
- NASCAR: ThreeNow (free, select coverage) and Sky Sport for full uninterrupted races.
The coffee is still brewing, team. We've got 8 more rounds to go.