2026 New Zealand Grand Prix: the future of motorsport is here!
- Lorenzo Baer
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
In its 70th edition, the New Zealand Grand Prix offers a special spectacle for speed lovers: the race will not only be about single-seaters racing at high speeds on a circuit, with anonymous drivers and teams fighting to make their mark in one of the sport's most iconic events; on the other hand, in 2026, the names inside the cockpits promise to make a difference, qualifying the event as one of the most intereresting editions of the race in recent years.
Some of these names have already left their mark in certain races and categories of world sport, with passports stamped by Formula 3, Formula 2, Super Formula, European Le Mans Series and even WRC! These factors help to create a very balanced scenario, which will certainly contribute to make the 2026 NZGP one of the main attractions of January in world motor racing.
Even so, the NZGP may hold a special appeal for certain drivers, who view it as a shortcut to stardom, joining a legendary poll of winners composed of names like Stirling Moss and Graham Hill.
Bringing it to more modern times, a win in the GP also seems to help in more important aspirations, with three current Formula One drivers having stamped on their CVs a victory in New Zealand's premier racing event: Lance Stroll (2015), Lando Norris (2016) and Liam Lawson (2019).
Thus, the 2026 NZGP presents itself as a unique opportunity for 20 of the top motorsport prospects to showcase their talents, in one of the most important stages of grassroots formula.
And even though it is difficult to pick favourites, it is hard not to create high expectations for certain drivers who could shine in the race, some of whom already have very successful careers behind them despite their young age.
So, check out below DIVEBOMB’s compilation of the main drivers to keep an eye during the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix.
Freddie Slater
The Warwickshire-born driver has proven to be one of the biggest revelations in British motorsport scenario in recent years. Starting with karts in 2016, Slater would have a meteoric rise through the discipline's grassroots categories, until moving up to the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2022.
A spectacular season in the series would catapult Slater to his single-seater debut in 2023, where, after a year of adaptation, he would go on to achieve his first major victories: the F4 UAE and Italian F4 titles in 2024, followed by a title in FRECA, already in 2025.
For 2026, the driver has his sights set on his first full season in the FIA F3 Championship, after occasional appearances on the category grid in 2025. However, in order not to lose the form during the off-season, Slater has entered into an agreement with Trident (his current F3 team) and M2 Competition, whereby the latter provided him with a seat for the FRegional Oceania series.
Buoyed by two victories in the third round of the championship at Teretonga, the Briton promises to show off all his speed in Highlands.
Kalle Rovanperä
The name Kalle Rovanperä is not so unfamiliar to those who have been following motor racing in recent years: in 2022 the driver became one of the youngest champions in the history of the World Rally Championship (WRC), demonstrating extreme skill, versatility and coolness, beating in the process much more experienced drivers in the category.
However, what seemed to be a clear path to rally stardom took a sudden turn at the end of 2025, when the driver made the surprising announcement of his retirement from WRC to pursue a new career in single-seaters.
With the financial backing of the behemoth Toyota, which partners with Hitech TGR team, Kalle's first challenge in this new phase is the FRegional Oceania, in which the driver has been demonstrating that he still has a lot to learn, especially in terms of equipment management.
Despite this, at Teretonga, Kalle managed to achieve his first podium in the category, a great milestone that could change everything for the Finn – could this be a sign that the driver has a chance at the NZGP?
Fionn McLaughlin
One of the newest recruits of Red Bull's talent development programme, Irishman McLaughlin was one of the big sensations of motorsport in 2025: despite a discreet appearance in the FIA F4 World Cup in Macau, the driver achieved excellent results in the Formula Winter Series (third) and British F4 (title).
For 2026, McLaughlin will face a major challenge, being part of the new wave of drivers who will join the ranks of the FIA F3 this season. But while the category is still a problem for the Irishman's future, McLaughlin, like Slater, decided to hone his skills elsewhere, with an opportunity offered by Hitech to compete in FRegional series fitting like a glove in this process.
This is the driver's first time Down Under, in a championship that has so far proved more difficult than expected for him: with his best finish so far being sixth in the fourth race of the Teretonga round, the NZGP could be McLaughlin's great opportunity to stage a comeback in the competition.
Ugo Ugochukwu
After an interesting start to his career in karting, Ugochukwu would emerge onto the motorsport scene in 2022 after finishing third overall in the F4 British Championship. But that would only be the American driver's calling card, as 2023 was to prove Ugochukwu's great year.
Starting with another third place, this time in F4 UAE, the driver would then finish up second in the standings of the competitive Italian F4. However, in Euro 4, Ugochukwu would finally climb to the top of the podium, clinching his first great trophy in single-seaters.
In 2024, the NY-born driver collected other interesting results, the most significant of which being a victory in the Macau Grand Prix. On the other hand, the driver's first campaign in F3, in 2025, proved lacklustre (despite two podium finishes), with 2026 turning out to be an all-or-nothing year for Ugochukwu in the series.
In order to be better prepared for another F3 assault, the driver accepted M2 Competition's invitation to join the team's roster during its Down Under tour – a partnership that has proven to be quite productive so far, with Ugochukwu leading the competition standings.
The NZGP seems like a great opportunity for the American to further demonstrate his credentials, making it clear that despite a difficult 2025, new seasons can change everything in the sport.
James Wharton
Another interesting name to keep an eye on during the NZGP is of the Aussie James Wharton. The driver's career is not marked by major victories and titles, like most of his rivals in next weekend's race (the driver's only relevant title being the 2023 F4 UAE), but this in no way diminishes the Wharton's image, whose most relevant attribute is consistency.
The Australian is the only driver in the NZGP field with experience in Formula 2, having defended the colors of Trident during the Qatari round of the 2025 championship. A disappointing performance in the event certainly contributed to the driver's decision to step down again to F3 in 2026, in order to gain more mileage before a new shot in the series.
Like some of the names mentioned above, Wharton found in FRegional Oceania an opportunity to improve his skills for the upcoming season, pitching his talents against some of his likely rivals in 2026.
So far, the Wharton's best result in the tournament has been a victory in Taupō, with expectations that the driver could join the select group of Australian NZGP winners, which, among others, already includes stars such as Jack Brabham and Warwick Brown.
