From a world champion to a fellow Red Bull reserve – How Liam Lawson’s New Zealand compatriots have fared in F1

Liam Lawson became the 10th driver from New Zealand to compete in Formula 1 when he made his debut as a substitute for the injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023. Now the 22-year-old is back again to replace Ricciardo, this time on a more permanent basis following the Australian’s exit from the RB team.

As he looks to make his mark during the final six races of the season, Lawson will be following in the footsteps of those nine drivers from his homeland who previously raced in the sport – and experienced varying levels of success between them.

Ahead of Lawson’s comeback, we’ve been looking back at how each Kiwi driver fared during their respective stints in F1, ranging from winning world championships to fleeting one-race appearances, plus a surprise Red Bull comeback…

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 23: Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB looks on in the — Lawson will replace Ricciardo at RB for the final six races of the 2024 season

Bruce McLaren

The first New Zealander to race in Formula 1 has perhaps one of the most famous names in motorsport history. Bruce McLaren made his debut with Cooper at the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix, a race he ended in fifth out of only six finishers.

McLaren ended that campaign by claiming his first victory at the Sebring Raceway in the United States, and he went on to add another two wins to his tally during his seven years with the squad. But it was in 1966 that McLaren founded the outfit that carried his name and would subsequently become one of the most successful teams in F1.

Victory in the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix gave McLaren his fourth win and the first for his team, but tragedy followed when he was killed in 1970 aged just 32 while testing the outfit’s new Can-Am car at Goodwood. McLaren’s legacy very much lives on, however, with the team having gone on to win eight constructors’ titles and 12 drivers’ championships to date.

Bruce McLaren, Cooper-Climax T45, Grand Prix of Germany, Nurburgring, 03 August 1958. Bruce McLaren — McLaren was the first driver from New Zealand to arrive into F1, before going on to establish one of the sport's most successful teams

Tony Shelly

Joining Bruce McLaren in F1 during 1962 was the second driver to hail from New Zealand, Tony Shelly, who entered the British Grand Prix at the wheel of a John Dalton vehicle. His appearance was brief, though, as he retired after just five laps due to a fault with the car.

Shelly went on to enter two more world championship events – at the Nurburgring and Monza – but failed to qualify on both occasions.

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Chris Amon

Just one year later Chris Amon arrived in the sport, making his debut with the Reg Parnell Racing team at the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix. This marked the beginning of a career in Formula 1 that spanned 96 Grands Prix across 13 years with many different teams, including Ferrari, March and Ensign.

While he came close to sealing a victory more than once, Amon’s best result was ultimately second place, taken on three occasions. Very highly rated but somehow never quite in the right place at the right time to take an F1 win, his bad luck became well known, leading Mario Andretti to joke: “If he became an undertaker, people would stop dying.”

Amon called time on his F1 career in 1976 and, despite leaving with no Grand Prix wins to his name, he did prove victorious at Le Mans in 1966, where he teamed up with countryman Bruce McLaren behind the wheel of a Ford GT40 Mk.II.

Chris Amon, Ferrari 312, Grand Prix of Great Britain, Brands Hatch, 20 July 1968. (Photo by Bernard — Amon's best result in Formula 1 was a P2, which he first scored for Ferrari at the 1968 British Grand Prix

Denny Hulme

When it comes to the statistics, Denny Hulme is the most successful F1 driver to come from New Zealand, having achieved one world championship, eight wins and 33 podiums during his 10 seasons in the sport.

After making his first appearance for Brabham at Monaco in 1965, Hulme claimed his debut win with the team at the same venue two years later. A string of good results followed – including another victory at the Nurburgring – and this saw the man known as ‘The Bear’ take the 1967 drivers’ title.

Hulme joined forces with compatriot Bruce McLaren by making the switch to his eponymous team in 1968, where he would continue to race – and collect another six wins – before his retirement in 1974. He went on to compete in other series up until he passed away in 1992, having suffered a heart attack while taking part in Australia's Bathurst 1000km touring car race.

Denny Hulme, Brabham-Repco BT24, Grand Prix of Mexico, Magdalena Mixhuca, 22 October 1967. (Photo — Hulme clinched the drivers' title in 1967, making him New Zealand's only F1 world champion

Howden Ganley

Hulme’s successful stint of 112 races in Formula 1 remains unmatched by any other New Zealander, but the Kiwi to achieve the most starts in the years since the world champion’s tenure is Howden Ganley.

Having headed to Europe in pursuit of a racing career in the 1960s, Ganley was employed as a mechanic by Bruce McLaren as the latter set about establishing his own team. But after taking a works drive in Formula 5000 for 1970, Ganley made the step up to F1 with Yardley one year on.

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He went on to participate in 35 Grands Prix between 1971 and 1974, with his best result being a P4 finish.

New Zealand racing driver Howden Ganley races for the Marlboro BRM team, UK, March 1972. (Photo by — Ganley took part in 35 Grands Prix during his time in F1

Graham McRae

A single F1 outing came for Graham McRae at the 1973 British Grand Prix, but unfortunately his race quickly came to an end when he retired on the opening lap.

While his appearance in the sport was fleeting, McRae was successful in Formula 5000 and also competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1973.

John Nicholson

Like McRae, John Nicholson was also a man with just one Formula 1 race start to his name. The driver from Auckland got behind the wheel of a Lyncar Ford at Silverstone in 1975 and lined up at the back of the grid, before crashing out five laps from the end of the race amid heavy rain.

But, as was the case for Ganley, Nicholson had worked for McLaren as an engineer when he first arrived in the United Kingdom in pursuit of a racing career and his work in this field continued to flourish, with the engines that he worked on helping the McLaren team to win their first world championship in 1974.

Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren-Ford M23, Grand Prix of Monaco, Circuit de Monaco, 26 May 1974. (Photo — The engines that Nicholson worked on contributed to McLaren clinching their first world championship – with Emerson Fittipaldi at the wheel – in 1974

Mike Thackwell

Despite only competing in two Grands Prix – both of which he failed to finish – Mike Thackwell’s name holds a place in the F1 history books, as for almost 30 years he held the record as the youngest driver to ever start a Grand Prix.

Indeed, Thackwell was just 19 years old when he lined up for the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, before then returning for a second appearance at the same event four years later. He went on to compete in various other categories of motorsport, which saw him win the European Formula 2 championship in 1984.

Brendon Hartley

After Thackwell, New Zealand faced a long wait for another Kiwi driver to make it to Formula 1 – 33 years, to be exact. Brendon Hartley became the ninth driver from the country to grace the grid when he made his debut for Toro Rosso at the 2017 United States Grand Prix – a surprise call, given that it came six years after he was dropped by Red Bull’s junior programme.

Hartley – who had also previously acted as a reserve driver for both of Red Bull’s teams – was given a full-time seat with the junior squad in 2018 and went on to score four points in total, his best finish being a P9 result in Austin.

Toro Rosso opted to replace Hartley with Alex Albon for 2019, leading to him subsequently becoming a development driver for Ferrari. He has since gone on to enjoy success in endurance racing, which has included two victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 23: Brendon Hartley of Scuderia Toro Rosso and New — Hartley returned to the Red Bull fold to race for Toro Rosso in 2017 and 2018

Liam Lawson

Rounding out the 10 New Zealand-born F1 drivers is Lawson, who will return to the grid following his impressive run as a stand-in at the team that was then called AlphaTauri, for five races in 2023.

Stepping in for Ricciardo from the Dutch Grand Prix onwards after the Australian suffered a broken hand, Lawson made it through his first race unscathed and only just missed out on scoring points during his second outing at Monza.

The wait to break his duck was only two weeks long, as the rookie crossed the line in ninth place at the Singapore Grand Prix a fortnight later.

While he initially missed out on a seat at the team in 2024, his chance has now come for the latter stages of the campaign – so can Lawson maximise the opportunity and secure his place for 2025? And can he go on and emulate some of his compatriots like Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme and add his name to the list of Kiwi-born Grand Prix winners? Only time will tell...