TRACK STAR SHINES ON NZ TEST
While everything was expected from WRC2 winner Hayden
Paddon, it was the opposite for his fellow New Zealander
Shane van Gisbergen.
The double Australian Supercars champion, 33, had only rallied four times and never at WRC level. But in a field lacking the WRC2’s big guns – apart from Kajetan Kajetanowicz – van Gisbergen scored an unlikely podium, coming home third behind Paddon and his fellow Skodadriving Pole.
“The result is just a bonus,” van Gisbergen said afterwards. “The whole weekend was pretty epic.
The weather made it pretty difficult for us all, but it was all about learning and improving and the pacenotes got better as well. This weekend was a bit like a weekend off – I’m a bit tired but I feel good.”
The Bathurst 1000 is next for van Gisbergen on Sunday but a future WRC return hasn’t been ruled out.
“I love what I do as a job in Supercars and if I can do this outside of that I’d love to. I love the roads here in New Zealand – I’d like to do more here and get a car for the full season – that’d be quite cool. If the dates line up I’ll try to be there.”