For Shane van Gisbergen, racing has all the time been about perseverance and flexibility — traits he acknowledges in his fellow Kiwi, Liam Lawson. The 35-year-old, who will make the full-time transfer as much as the NASCAR Cup Collection subsequent yr, was an early mentor to the VCARB Formulation 1 driver.
“Clearly, I went the Touring Automobile route, and he went to chase the dream in Europe in single-seaters,” van Gisbergen mirrored. “Now he is succeeded at it. The way in which he is gotten to F1 has been somewhat troublesome the final couple of years. However seeing him get this chance full-time now, I am simply stoked and so proud.”
The three-time Australian Supercars champion credited Lawson’s success, partially, to his unwavering dedication. “I may see proper from the beginning how into it he was — all the time watching racing or on the simulator. He simply dedicated himself,” van Gisbergen mentioned.
The pair, who’re each a part of the Purple Bull household, have additionally used adaptability to their benefit. “You’ve obtained to be versatile, which is one thing I’ve all the time tried to do by driving a bunch of various vehicles. It helps you in the case of one thing new within the setup, one thing technical, and even with the climate altering. You’ve obtained to have the ability to adapt right away,” he mentioned. “Liam’s been distinctive at that. Even when F1 wasn’t figuring out, he did DTM and different racing that I believe has actually helped him.”
Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zillisch, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson
Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
Actually, the 2 just lately reconnected on a mud oval in Texas for a Purple Bull shoot, the place Lawson and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda obtained behind the wheel of a inventory automotive — with some steering from van Gisbergen and NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch. “Liam was very analytical, attempting to grasp the automotive and what he wanted to do to be quick,” van Gisbergen mentioned. “You do not make it to F1 by being a mean driver. To look at how he and Yuki may simply bounce in a automotive and drive — it was superb.”
Regardless of being at completely different level of their careers, the pair are each experiencing the challenges of uprooting their lives to chase their desires overseas. “It’s not straightforward. Even now, I am quite a bit older, however shifting from Australia to America — being throughout the opposite facet of the world from your loved ones and associates — it’s troublesome,” van Gisbergen admitted. Nevertheless, he’s greater than able to forge a brand new path in NASCAR, the place he’s set to drive for Trackhouse Racing full-time within the 2025 Cup Collection.
“I’ve had a blast. It has been like a totally completely different sport — it’s so in contrast to every other racing I’ve ever performed, and that is nice. It has been such a problem and a giant refresh for me,” he defined. “Some points of it have been a battle, particularly on the ovals, however that is what guys grew up doing right here. NASCAR additionally has a extremely hectic schedule, however I adore it.”
He’s additionally taken recommendation from veterans like Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick whereas embracing the camaraderie of the NASCAR world. “All the drivers have been fairly pleasant. You possibly can’t not be pleasant since you race one another each week,” he mentioned. “The vehicles are very completely different to what I’m used to, however hopefully the Cup automotive will swimsuit me higher. I’ve simply obtained to be affected person and never attempt to drive issues. The outcomes will come as soon as I get comfy, however I am positively able to go.”
On this article
Emily Selleck
Formulation 1
NASCAR
Shane van Gisbergen
Liam Lawson
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