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2026 New Zealand Grand Prix

2026 New Zealand Grand Prix
Race 3, Round 4 of 4 of the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
Race details
Date 1 February 2026
Official name LXX New Zealand Grand Prix
Location Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, New Zealand
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.100 km (2.548 miles)
Distance 27 laps, 114.8 km (71.3 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver
Hitech TGR
Time 1:28.339
Fastest lap
Driver New Zealand Zack Scoular mtec Motorsport
Time 1:29.104
Podium
First
mtec Motorsport
Second
Hitech TGR
Third
Hitech TGR

The 2026 New Zealand Grand Prix (officially known as the NAPA 70th New Zealand Grand Prix) was an event for open wheel racing cars held at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Otago on 1 February 2026. It was the seventieth New Zealand Grand Prix and utilised Formula Regional cars. The event served as the final race of the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.

The race was won by New Zealander Zack Scoular while Hitech TGR drivers Jin Nakamura and Kanato Le rounded out the podium. Nakamura achieved pole position earlier that weekend while Scoular took fastest lap honours during the race.

Elsewhere, Ugo Ugochukwu would take the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy title, becoming the first American in the series' history to do so.

Background

The event was held at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell for the third time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 30 January–1 February. The Grand Prix was the final race of the final round of the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy and the 70th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix.

Heading into the weekend, six drivers were in contention for the overall Formula Regional Oceania Trophy title. American Ugo Ugochukwu led the championship standings by 22 points over Audi Formula 1 junior driver, Freddie Slater.[1] Owing to inclement weather conditions in the final race of the previous round in Teretonga, an additional race was positioned on Friday. Slater took victory in said race, closing the points deficit to Ugochukwu by four points.[2]

Outside of the 19-driver contingent that competed throughout the FROT season, only one other driver (Liam Sceats) signed on to compete in the Grand Prix. Sceats had previously won the Grand Prix in the first iteration at Highlands in 2024.[3]

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on 31 January 2026, at 11:43 local time (UTC+12:00)

Qualifying classification

Pos. No. Driver Team Qualifying times Final
grid
Q1 Q2 Q3
1 12 Japan Jin Nakamura Hitech TGR 1:28.704 1:28.940 1:28.339 1
2 40 New Zealand Ryan Wood mtec Motorsport 1:28.796 1:28.762 1:28.439 7
3 4 United States Ugo Ugochukwu M2 Competition 1:28.718 1:28.918 1:28.487 131
4 3 New Zealand Zack Scoular mtec Motorsport 1:28.790 1:28.702 1:28.554 2
5 19 Japan Kanato Le Hitech TGR 1:29.032 1:28.639 1:28.556 3
6 27 United Kingdom Freddie Slater M2 Competition 1:28.821 1:28.486 1:28.599 4
7 11 New Zealand Louis Sharp mtec Motorsport 1:28.718 1:28.943 1:28.625 5
8 23 New Zealand Liam Sceats HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 1:28.930 1:28.764 1:28.646 6
9 24 Mexico Ernesto Rivera M2 Competition 1:29.008 1:29.070 N/A Wth
10 22 New Zealand Sebastian Manson M2 Competition 1:29.158 1:29.070 N/A 8
11 13 Australia James Wharton HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 1:28.946 1:29.073 N/A 9
12 52 United States Nolan Allaer Giles Motorsport 1:29.011 1:29.133 N/A 10
13 5 China Yuanpu Cui mtec Motorsport 1:29.149 1:29.186 N/A 11
14 21 Sri Lanka Yevan David Kiwi Motorsport 1:29.137 1:29.423 N/A 12
15 33 Republic of Ireland Fionn McLaughlin Hitech TGR 1:29.400 N/A N/A 14
16 14 United States Cooper Shipman Kiwi Motorsport 1:29.521 N/A N/A 15
17 41 Brazil Ricardo Baptista HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 1:29.545 N/A N/A 16
18 50 Australia Jack Taylor Giles Motorsport 1:29.678 N/A N/A 17
19 8 United States Trevor LaTourrette HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 1:30.713 N/A N/A 18
Source:[4][5][6]

Notes

  • ^1 – Ugo Ugochukwu qualified 3rd, but was required to start the race from fourteenth for a technical breach relating to wishbone covers.[7]

Race

The race will be held on 1 February 2026, at 16:33 local time (UTC+12:00), and will run for 27 laps.

Pos. No. Driver Teams Laps Time/Retired Grid
1 3 New Zealand Zack Scoular mtec Motorsport 27 50min 22.958sec 2
2 12 Japan Jin Nakamura Hitech TGR 27 + 0.434 1
3 19 Japan Kanato Le Hitech TGR 27 + 0.807 3
4 27 United Kingdom Freddie Slater M2 Competition 27 + 1.280 4
5 40 New Zealand Ryan Wood mtec Motorsport 27 + 2.163 7
6 11 New Zealand Louis Sharp mtec Motorsport 27 + 2.796 5
7 23 New Zealand Liam Sceats HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 27 + 3.491 6
8 13 Australia James Wharton HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 27 + 4.059 9
9 4 United States Ugo Ugochukwu M2 Competition 27 + 4.639 13
10 22 New Zealand Sebastian Manson M2 Competition 27 + 5.005 8
11 33 Republic of Ireland Fionn McLaughlin Hitech TGR 27 + 5.309 14
12 41 Brazil Ricardo Baptista HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 27 + 5.921 16
13 5 China Yuanpu Cui mtec Motorsport 27 + 8.229 11
14 21 Sri Lanka Yevan David Kiwi Motorsport 27 + 11.322 12
15 52 United States Nolan Allaer Giles Motorsport 26 + 1 lap 10
Ret 8 United States Trevor LaTourrette HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed 25 Accident 18
Ret 14 United States Cooper Shipman Kiwi Motorsport 24 Spun off 15
Ret 50 Australia Jack Taylor Giles Motorsport 10 Accident 18
Wth 24 Mexico Ernesto Rivera M2 Competition 0 Withdrew
Wth 69 Finland Kalle Rovanperä Hitech TGR 0 Withdrew
Fastest lap: New Zealand Zack Scoular (mtec Motorsport) – 1:29.104 (lap 19)
Source:

References

  1. ^ "Grand Prix and 2026 Trophy champion decided this weekend". Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Championship battle even tighter as Slater takes another win". Velocity News. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Sceats secures late deal to try for NZ GP victory number two". Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  4. ^ "NAPA 70th New Zealand Grand Prix - Qualifying - Q1". MYLAPS Speedhive. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  5. ^ "NAPA 70th New Zealand Grand Prix - Qualifying - Q2". MYLAPS Speedhive. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  6. ^ "NAPA 70th New Zealand Grand Prix - Qualifying - Q3". MYLAPS Speedhive. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Formula Regional Oceania title race rocked by penalty". Speedcafe.com. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
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