Shane van Gisbergen celebrated his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in Mexico City over the weekend and used the moment to make a light-hearted jab at Red Bull Racing’s quick-trigger approach to drivers.
The New Zealander, backed by Red Bull and in his first full-time NASCAR season, had only cracked the top ten once in the first 15 races. Struggling to adjust to the oval-heavy format of American stock car racing, he finally broke through with a gritty win in a rain-affected, caution-filled race after starting on pole.
Despite the tough conditions, van Gisbergen stayed composed and praised Trackhouse Racing for sticking by him through a rough start. He highlighted the difference in support between his team and Red Bull’s Formula 1 outfit, joking:
“I’m glad I didn’t drive for Red Bull F1 after how the first few rounds went.”
He credited Trackhouse boss Justin Marks for giving him the time and space to grow without pressure a stark contrast to how Red Bull F1 handled fellow Kiwi Liam Lawson, who was dropped after just two races.
Back in March, after Lawson posted about his removal from Red Bull on Instagram, van Gisbergen commented, “Prove ’em wrong!” A mentor figure to Lawson, van Gisbergen has followed his fellow New Zealander’s journey closely.
Speaking last December, he expressed pride in Lawson’s perseverance:
“It’s been a tough road into F1 for him, but I’m just stoked to see him finally get a full-time shot.”
He also praised Lawson’s versatility across series like DTM, noting that adaptability is crucial in motorsport, especially when dealing with technical challenges or unpredictable conditions.
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