Kiwi Liam Lawson, who has earned a full-time drive in Formula 1 after debuting last year, is among a select group of New Zealanders to race in the series.
The news everyone expected finally happened this morning when the 22-year-old was announced as the replacement for Aussie veteran Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the season.
Lawson will sit in the cockpit as an official member of the Visa Cashapp Red Bull (VCARB) team from the United States Grand Prix on 21 October to the end of the season.
It comes after Lawson served as the team’s reserve driver for most of this season. He took part in five races last season when Ricciardo was out injured.
Lawson isn’t the only Kiwi to sit in an F1 car, with nine others having driven in the world’s most famous series.
Watch the full interview with Liam Lawson on securing a full-time Formula 1 seat on TVNZ+
Here’s a look at other Kiwis who have competed in F1.
Bruce McLaren
Perhaps New Zealand’s most famous racer, Bruce McLaren left a huge mark on the world of motorsport, giving his name to the team currently atop the Constructors Championship.
McLaren won his first grand prix in 1959 at the age of 22 while racing for the Cooper Formula 1 team, having made his debut season the year before.
His F1 career spanned across 13 years, with a career-high championship finish of second in 1960.
During those 13 years, McLaren won four races and finished on the podium 27 times. He died in a test crash in 1970 aged just 32.
Outside of his on-track accolades, the largest mark McLaren left of the F1 world was founding the team which bears his last name.
Since its founding, McLaren (the team) has been a dominant force in Formula 1, having won the World Drivers Championship 12 times and the World Constructors Championship eight times.
A number of now world-famous drivers have won championships with the team, including James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and Lewis Hamilton.
Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme is currently the only New Zealander to have won a World Championship in Formula 1.
Born in Motueka, Hulme spent 10 years in Formula 1, winning a total of eight races and making the podium 33 times.
His biggest season was in 1967, when he won with World Drivers Championship racing for Brabham.
Chris Amon
Chris Amon, another well-known Kiwi driver, was active in F1 for 14 years during the 60s and 70s.
From Bulls, he started 95 races.
While he never won a race in F1, Amon ended up on the podium 11 times, taking three fastest laps and five pole positions.
He is widely considered one of the best drivers to have never won a race.
Howden Ganley
Howden Ganley, from Hamilton, spent four years racing in Formula 1, finishing 13th in the World Drivers Championship in 1972.
Brendon Hartley
More recently, Brendon Hartley spent just over a season in F1, where he raced for the same team as Lawson, called Toro Rosso at the time.
Hartley was called up to Toro Rosso at the end of 2017 and spent the entire season behind the wheel of the RB in 2018.
He finished 19th overall.
Other drivers
Several other Kiwis have competed in F1 for a limited period or just one race.
At 19, Mike Thackwell was the youngest to qualify for a Grand Prix in 1980.
Wellington’s Graham McRae had one race, where he retired in the first lap.
John Nicholson also had one start, finishing 19th.
Tony Shelly experienced three races in F1 during the 1962 season.
During his brief stint, he was able to qualify for one race at the British Grand Prix in 1962 where he retired mid-way through the race.
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