How a GP is thriving in a COVID-free territory

A huge crowd, a thrilling motor race that culminated in a back-to-front victory, and not one person wearing a mask. And yes, I'm talking about something that happened in 2021, not 1921.

As a country, New Zealand and its leadership have provided an example of calm dignity and let's-get-this-sorted-out proactiveness to the rest of the world in the wake of any recent crises, far at odds with the floundering bumblers hampering the progress of much of the planet. Such methodology also seems to have benefited its motorsport scene, brilliantly illustrated by last weekend's incredibly successful New Zealand Grand Prix opening round of the Toyota Racing Series at Hampton Downs.

Those of you who follow single-seaters will know that, for the past decade, TRS is a super-competitive contest, flooded by talent from around the world keeping themselves sharp during the European winter (Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda are among the graduates). Such is its reputation that the 2019 and 2020 champions, Liam Lawson and Felipe Fraga, were both placed on the Red Bull Junior scheme thanks to their successes down under.

But with NZ's strict quarantine requirements, it was always going to be tough to attract foreign participation for 2021. So the organisers focused on getting in young local talent plus big-name Kiwis such as Australian Supercars superstars present-and-past Shane van Gisbergen and Greg Murphy, and ex-European single-seater hotshot-turned-Asian GT benchmark Chris van der Drift.

Despite a gloomy, rainy morning, the crowd flooded in - as those of us on the wrong side of the world were able to view on the Motorsport.tv stream. You can't fault high-volume TRS TV commentator Jonathan Green for enthusiasm (his stock reaction to a car merely putting two wheels in the dirt is an ear-splitting "aaaaaaggggghhhhhh"). And let's salute his attempts to pay homage to mid-1970s cheesy-pop chart-toppers Paper Lace (as Billy Frazer made a mistake, Green responded: "'Billy, don't be a hero' went the song, but Billy almost went from hero to zero").

Less enjoyable was the local director's habit of following that scourge of modern-day broadcasting: cutting away from a dead-cert overtaking manoeuvre to people in the pits, who are trying to watch the move on their monitors but are only seeing themselves.

Still, it was a great event, and van Gisbergen delighted the crowd by putting in an exhibition of brilliance and winning all three races, including the historic NZGP itself, in which he drove from a pitlane start to victory.

He was one of eight drivers run by the Belgo-Kiwi M2 Competition (former TRS home to champions Fraga, Lawson, Robert Shwartzman, Norris, Lance Stroll and Nick Cassidy), which had to readapt its horizons in the wake of the COVID protocols.

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How amazing would it be to have, say, Cassidy - or Scott Dixon, Brendon Hartley, Mitch Evans or Earl Bamber - take on Kiwi youngsters plus international Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault juniors?

"It's a different approach," says Jonathan 'Flex' Moury, the Belgian co-chief of the squad alongside local Mark Pilcher. "Originally we were allowed to go to New Zealand with a limited amount of people from Europe, with the priority being given to the drivers. There was a list of pre-selected people for a visa, and this is when TRS announced that internationals were allowed. After that the government said the quarantine facilities were all fully booked, because you have to remember the America's Cup is on as well.

"The staff we used this weekend was bigger because of all the guest drivers. We could find a lot of guys who had worked with us before, and they were all New Zealanders. I did all the set-up and pressures, preparation and onboards remotely and sent it over, and was in touch all the time to send directions. And I was talking quite a lot to Chris and Shane, because they hadn't driven the car before."

Van Gisbergen and van der Drift were the quickest two drivers over the weekend, and Moury, whose 'summer' job with BMW's DTM effort meant he engineered Robert Kubica last season, was massively impressed with the triple victor, who'd not raced a single-seater since 2007.

"The guy is just incredible," he enthused. "He reminded me of Robert to an extent. He comes with the questions, but he already knows the answers and just needs confirmation."

M2 isn't just about the 'old guys' though. Matthew Payne, straight out of karting, was hot on his debut, and had Lawson coaching him. He's got his eyes on a touring car/GT career. Kaleb Ngatoa, the surprise NZGP polesitter, and Frazer both have European aspirations.

Ideally, Moury would have combined them with the usual internationals, and he says there was interest in TRS despite the COVID obstacles and slimmed-down, North Island-only three-event schedule: "There was a fair bit, but we were very cautious and didn't want to promise anything. Still, two or three insisted they'd be there, but now they're doing Asian F3 instead."

Hopefully, the established TRS nirvana can return in 2022, but why not repeat last weekend's experiment? How amazing would it be to have, say, Cassidy - or Scott Dixon, Brendon Hartley, Mitch Evans or Earl Bamber - take on Kiwi youngsters plus international Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault juniors?

I reckon most single-seater fans would emit an ear-splitting "aaaaaaggggghhhhhh".