Shane van Gisbergen named one of the best drivers on the planet
Friday, 23 December 2022
New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen has cracked the top 10 of Autosport magazine’s Top 50 Drivers rankings for 2022, in a year where four Kiwis made it onto the celebratory list.
Van Gisbergen ended up 10th on the Autosport list, behind Lando Norris (Formula 1), Will Power (IndyCar), Josef Newgarden (IndyCar), Stoffel Vandoorne (Formula E), George Russell (F1), Lewis Hamilton (F1), Kalle Rovanperä (World Rally Championship), Charles Leclerc (F1), and Max Verstappen (F1).
The British publication issues its Top 50 list annually, comparing racers from all over the planet and across different championships.
It is the first time that a Supercars driver has been named in the list’s top 10, and the first time that van Gisbergen has been ranked so high having been listed in 13th last year.
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Four other New Zealanders, Scott McLaughlin, Brendon Hartley, Scott Dixon, and Mitch Evans also made the list; appearing in 28th, 22nd, 17th, and 12th respectively.
In 2022 van Gisbergen took his stranglehold on the Supercars championship to new heights, winning a record 21 races in a single season. This included a remarkable comeback drive at Pukekohe, a second Bathurst 1000 crown, and a third championship title.
Van Gisbergen also achieved this year in other categories, too. He scored a stunning third in the WRC2 class at Rally New Zealand, and made his much awaited 24 Hours of Le Mans debut.
The result adds gravitas to the Supercars category and how it is perceived on the world stage when compared to other championships. Van Gisbergen is the only touring car driver in the top 10, with just three other ‘tin-top’ racers (Joey Logano, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Ross Chastain) appearing in the top 20.
In particular, Autosport notes that van Gisbergen is incredible at passing other drivers at a time where passing others in Supercars is as difficult as it has ever been. Van Gisbergen’s passing chops are only rivalled by his ability to preserve his tyres and stop his car better than any of his peers.
Speaking to Autosport, van Gisbergen’s engineer Andrew Edwards (a new recruit for 2022), praised his ability to pass, his decision making, and his grasp on strategy.
“I’ve been lucky to work with some really good drivers. They’ve all got talent and feel and good feedback and things like that. But what really sets Shane apart is his ability to race. And his ability to pass,” said Edwards.
“That’s the thing that lets you do different strategies and recover when others can’t. That comes from having good capacity left to make decisions. And it’s his attitude in that moment too. He… for lack of a better word, he’s an animal in that moment. He loves the chase and he thrives with the challenge.
“He understands the strategy, too. He can help you complete that. You don’t need to give him much and he understands what’s required of him. I just paint the picture for him, and he knows what needs to happen to help execute it.
“Once he’s got a sniff, he’s on it. It's incredible to see sometimes. This year there’s been a couple in particular where I didn’t think we could win the race from where we were, races like New Zealand. To see that is superhuman. That’s just his pure racecraft.”