“I’m glad I didn’t drive for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 after how the first few races went,” joked Van Gisbergen after his struggling start in NASCAR, with the New Zealeander finishing in the top 30 only twice in his first seven races of the season.
Max Verstappen with Yuki Tsunoda and former teammate Liam Lawson, Red Bull Contentpool
Van Gisbergen glad for more time
Van Gisbergen is currently active in NASCAR for the Trackhouse Racing team and is sponsored by Red Bull, but he faced difficulties initially.
The New Zealander was inexperienced in NASCAR, but he was brought onto the team to win a race away from the classic oval circuits. When you win a race in NASCAR, either on an oval or a classic circuit, you advance to the NASCAR playoffs. However, after his win in Mexico City, he is now guaranteed a spot in the top sixteen, unless more than sixteen drivers win a race.
After that win, Van Gisbergen was enormously grateful to his team boss Justin Marks, with the New Zealander glad that they did not act like in Formula 1.
‘’Justin has been awesome. He supported me, gave me all the time I needed, and didn’t put any pressure on me. It was really cool,” concluded the 36-year-old.
This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte
