# 2023 New Zealand Grand Prix

The 2023 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in northern Waikato on 5 February 2023. It was the sixty-seventh New Zealand Grand Prix and utilised Formula Regional cars. The event also served as the third race of the fourth round of the 2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship. This marked the Grand Prix's return after the 2022 iteration was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the first to feature international drivers since 2020.
Dutch driver Laurens van Hoepen produced a victory in his debut weekend in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship. He won from the highly-fancied Louis Foster, with series leader Callum Hedge rounding out the podium.

## Entry list

All drivers compete with identical Tatuus FT-60 chassis cars powered by 2.0L turbocharged Toyota engines. After the 2021 Grand Prix was run without any officially recognized teams, the event returned to a team-based format.
| Team | No. | Driver |
| Hamilton Motorsport Ltd. | 4 | Billy Frazer |
| Hamilton Motorsport Ltd. | 84 | Chris van der Drift |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 5 | Lucas Fecury |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 8 | Tom McLennan |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 21 | Josh Mason |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 51 | Jacob Abel |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 86 | Brendon Leitch |
| Kiwi Motorsport | 98 | James Penrose |
| M2 Competition | 7 | Charlie Wurz |
| M2 Competition | 17 | Callum Hedge |
| M2 Competition | 18 | Laurens van Hoepen |
| M2 Competition | 23 | Liam Sceats |
| M2 Competition | 77 | David Morales |
| M2 Competition | 101 | Ryder Quinn |
| Giles Motorsport | 15 | Kaleb Ngatoa |
| Giles Motorsport | 26 | Louis Foster |
| Giles Motorsport | 36 | Adam Fitzgerald |
| Giles Motorsport | 55 | Breanna Morris |
| Giles Motorsport | 66 | Ryan Shehan |
| Giles Motorsport | 88 | Chloe Chambers |

## Qualifying
### Qualifying classification

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Final grid |
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Final grid |
| 1 | 18 | Laurens van Hoepen | M2 Competition | 1:30.240 | 1:30.389 | 1:29.819 | 1 |
| 2 | 26 | Louis Foster | Giles Motorsport | 1:30.474 | 1:30.465 | 1:29.863 | 2 |
| 3 | 15 | Kaleb Ngatoa | Giles Motorsport | 1:30.340 | 1:30.461 | 1:29.978 | 3 |
| 4 | 17 | Callum Hedge | M2 Competition | 1:30.401 | 1:30.540 | 1:30.003 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | Charlie Wurz | M2 Competition | 1:30.552 | 1:30.449 | 1:30.097 | 5 |
| 6 | 23 | Liam Sceats | M2 Competition | 1:30.545 | 1:30.631 | 1:30.133 | 6 |
| 7 | 51 | Jacob Abel | Kiwi Motorsport | 1:30.785 | 1:30.667 | 1:30.313 | 7 |
| 8 | 77 | David Morales | M2 Competition | 1:30.685 | 1:30.620 | 1:30.362 | 8 |
| 9 | 84 | Chris van der Drift | Hamilton Motorsport | 1:30.738 | 1:30.684 | N/A | 9 |
| 10 | 21 | Josh Mason | Kiwi Motorsport | 1:30.903 | 1:30.693 | N/A | 10 |
| 11 | 66 | Ryan Shehan | Giles Motorsport | 1:30.894 | 1:30.698 | N/A | 11 |
| 12 | 36 | Adam Fitzgerald | Giles Motorsport | 1:30.523 | 1:30.821 | N/A | 12 |
| 13 | 86 | Brendon Leitch | Kiwi Motorsport | 1:30.723 | 1:30.834 | N/A | 13 |
| 14 | 101 | Ryder Quinn | M2 Competition | 1:30.688 | 1:30.942 | N/A | 14 |
| 15 | 98 | James Penrose | Kiwi Motorsport | 1:31.108 | N/A | N/A | 15 |
| 16 | 88 | Chloe Chambers | Giles Motorsport | 1:31.290 | N/A | N/A | 16 |
| 17 | 5 | Lucas Fecury | Kiwi Motorsport | 1:31.329 | N/A | N/A | 17 |
| 18 | 4 | Billy Frazer | Hamilton Motorsport | 1:31.708 | N/A | N/A | 18 |
| 19 | 55 | Breanna Morris | Giles Motorsport | 1:31.793 | N/A | N/A | 19 |
| - | 8 | Tom McLennan | Kiwi Motorsport | no time | N/A | N/A | - |
| 107% time: 1:36.557 ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

## Race
### Race classification

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Teams | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
| 1 | 18 | Laurens van Hoepen | M2 Competition | 28 | 42min 16.570sec | 1 |
| 2 | 26 | Louis Foster | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 0.846 s | 2 |
| 3 | 17 | Callum Hedge | M2 Competition | 28 | + 12.329 s | 4 |
| 4 | 84 | Chris van der Drift | Hamilton Motorsport | 28 | + 12.673 s | 9 |
| 5 | 15 | Kaleb Ngatoa | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 14.923 s | 3 |
| 6 | 23 | Liam Sceats | M2 Competition | 28 | + 15.525 s | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | Charlie Wurz | M2 Competition | 28 | + 16.173 s | 5 |
| 8 | 51 | Jacob Abel | Kiwi Motorsport | 28 | + 16.604 s | 7 |
| 9 | 77 | David Morales | M2 Competition | 28 | + 17.499 s | 8 |
| 10 | 101 | Ryder Quinn | M2 Competition | 28 | + 18.051 s | 14 |
| 11 | 66 | Ryan Shehan | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 23.107 s | 11 |
| 12 | 21 | Josh Mason | Kiwi Motorsport | 28 | + 24.859 s | 10 |
| 13 | 98 | James Penrose | Kiwi Motorsport | 28 | + 26.756 s | 15 |
| 14 | 86 | Brendon Leitch | Kiwi Motorsport | 28 | + 28.049 s | 13 |
| 15 | 4 | Billy Frazer | Hamilton Motorsport | 28 | + 32.652 s | 18 |
| 16 | 36 | Adam Fitzgerald | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 35.056 s | 12 |
| 17 | 88 | Chloe Chambers | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 36.342 s | 16 |
| 18 | 55 | Breanna Morris | Giles Motorsport | 28 | + 47.490 s | 19 |
| 19 | 5 | Lucas Fecury | Kiwi Motorsport | 28 | + 48.132 s | 17 |
| WD | 8 | Tom McLennan | Kiwi Motorsport | 0 | Withdrew | |
| Fastest lap: Laurens van Hoepen (M2 Competition) – 1:30.061 (lap 10) |||||||
| Source: |||||||