2026 New Zealand Grand Prix Preview
- Lorenzo Baer
- 6h
- 6 min read
With a history spanning seven decades, the New Zealand Grand Prix is perhaps one of the most celebrated races in the history of the sport, having been stamped during the years by some of its greatest legends.
In 2026, the GP returns in full force, offering a menu that is sure to satisfy most fans of the sport. Under the Repco Nextgen NZ Championship banner, in addition to the feature event, which will mark the grand finale of the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy, the weekend will also involve Grand Touring, touring and even historic races.
The events will take place at the Highlands circuit, which has been home to the New Zealand GP since 2024. Located on the NZ Southern Island, the 4,100 km track has a unique layout that combines tricky corners and generous straights, offering a real challenge for drivers and machines alike.
This year, MotorSport New Zealand, the sole recognised regulator of motorsport in New Zealand (and the race's main organiser) will be backed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which will provide technical and operational support to the New Zealand motorsport federation's stewards.
But leaving the backstage and returning to the tracks, it is time to learn a little more about the 70th edition of the New Zealand Grand Prix. Follow below all the races in contention, which in a few days will transform the Māori lands into one of the meccas of world motor racing.
New Zealand Grand Prix (FRegional Oceania Trophy, Rd. 4)
The flagship event of the 2026 NZGP, the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy final promises to offer non-stop entertainment for speed lovers throughout the weekend.
With 20 entries, the grid will offer an interesting overview of the current low formula categories, pitting names such as Freddie Slater (2025 FRECA winner and future Trident driver in Formula 3) and Kalle Rovanperä (two-time WRC winner) against each other.
The recruitment of such names to the 2026 race line-up is part of a comprehensive package by MotorSport New Zealand to rejuvenate the image of FRegional in the country. To this end, the organisation has also introduced other changes for 2026, including the push-to-pass feature on all cars, an element that has ensured a great deal of unpredictability in races so far - and in Highlands, this will be no different.
This year, the NZGP for FRegional cars will follow the following procedures: after free-practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, the drivers will jump into qualifying, which will be split in a similar fashion to Formula One - with a Q1, Q2 and Q3, with the slowest driver being eliminated at each round. However, the Q1 times will set the grid for race one, while the Q3 will determine the grid for races two (inverted grid) and three (normal formation).
The event will be contested in three heats, with the first two composed by 18 laps each. In contrast, the third race, which will carry the official New Zealand Grand Prix badge, will be contested over 27 laps, better reflecting the special status of this race. All drivers will have at their disposal Tatuus FT-60 chassis powered by a 2.0-litre Toyota engine.
Besides the NZGP trophy, also at stake at Highlands are also the Chris Amon Trophy, offered to the overall winner of the FRegional Oceania, and the Tasman Cup, awarded to the best Aussie or Kiwi driver of the tournament.
GT New Zealand GP (GT NZ Championship, Rd. 3)
The premier series for Grand Touring cars in New Zealand, the GT NZ Championship will serve as the main support event for the single-seater disputes. The GT NZ tournament, now in its third of five stages that will make up the season, presents a highly competitive scenario, with drivers from different brands and teams fighting for victory.
The category is divided into two: the Open Class, eligible to GT3 and GT2-homologated machines, will feature representatives from Porsche (992 and GT3), Audi (R8), Mercedes (AMG GT2) and PACE (IRC GT). The tournament also includes the GT4 Class, which although mainly dominated by Toyota Supra GT4 EVOs, also features Mercedes GT4 AMGs and Ginettas G56s.
In total, 13 entries are expected to make up the grid of the category in Highlands.
The event will feature two smaller 30-minute sprint races and a bigger 50-minute heat, which will include a mandatory pit stop. During the races, teams can opt to use one or two drivers per car.
GR86 Highlands (GR86 Championship, Rd. 4)
Sponsored by Toyota and Bridgestone, the GR86 Championship plays an important role in the New Zealand motorsport scene, creating the necessary space for talents from the world of touring cars to get their first shot at a category in the discipline.
Since the introduction of the Japanese brand's GR86 model (which replaced the old TR86 used by the category until 2024), the championship has seen a substantial increase in its visibility and competitiveness, slowly catching the publics attention. Sixteen drivers will be in the running to see who will come out on top at the Highlands circuit, in one of the most democratic disciplines of the NZGP weekend.
The first important moment of the GR86 Championship during the event will take place in the early hours of Saturday, with a 15-minute qualifying. Race 1 will also be held on Saturday, lasting 19 minutes. On the other hand, races 2 and 3, to be contested on Sunday, will be slightly longer, lasting 30 minutes each.
TA2 Highlands (TA2 NZ Championship, Rd. 4)
TA2 is the big news for the NZGP racing weekend, following the announcement that MotorSport New Zealand has officially granted Championship status to the series for 2026. This marks a milestone in the history of the category, which less than a year after its introduction in the country is officially recognised as an integral part of the New Zealand racing calendar.
The category is an offshoot of the famous North American Trans-Am, strictly following its regulations. For example, TA2 NZ shares the same PBR Howe Racing Enterprises chassis that can be seen on the other side of the Pacific, featuring either Mustang, Camaro or Challenger bodies. The engines are also identical to those of Trans-Am: 6.2l LS3 Chevrolet.
The event in Highlands will be the fourth of the season for TA2 NZ drivers, with expectations that between 15-18 cars will be entered in the contest, which will begin with a 20-minute qualifying session on Saturday morning.
The times from this session will determine the starting order for the three races schedueled for the category, each lasting 20 minutes. The first race will take place in the late afternoon on Saturday, while the other two will happen on Sunday.
Tim Miles Memorial Trophy (Formula Atlantic NZ, Rd. 2)
Following a recent trend in promoting historic events linked to the image of major international races, MotorSport New Zealand has decided to include a special event dedicated to vintage motor racing enthusiasts in the 2026 NZGP programme.
Entitled Formula Atlantic New Zealand Grand Prix, the event is a bid by the institution to preserve classic Formula-type racing cars on the racetracks. Consisting of two weekends (with the first event in the series being held in Taupō), the mini-tournament will serve as a laboratory for larger-scale events planned for the future.
Due to its still maturing stage, the category does not have strictly rigid regulations, with low-formulas from different eras being accepted in the competition. In Taupō, for example, Tatuus, Ralt and Swift brands were represented.
In the NZGP schedule, the events of the category will consist of a 20-minute qualifying session, plus three races of the same duration.
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