2011 New Zealand Grand Prix

The 2011 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Manfeild Autocourse near Feilding on 13 February 2011. It was the fifty-sixth New Zealand Grand Prix and was open to Toyota Racing Series cars. The event was also the third race of the fourth round of the 2011 Toyota Racing Series.

2011 New Zealand Grand Prix
Race 3, Round 4 of 5 of the 2011 Toyota Racing Series
Race details
Date 13 February 2011
Official name LVI New Zealand Grand Prix
Location Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding, New Zealand
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 3.033 km (1.885 mi)
Distance 35 laps, 106.16 km (65.96 mi)
Weather Fine
Pole position
Driver
Giles Motorsport
Time 1:04.141
Fastest lap
Driver Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport
Time 1:04.509 on lap 31
Podium
First
Giles Motorsport
Second
Victory Motor Racing
Third
ETEC Motorsport

Sixteen Tatuus-Toyota cars started the race which was won by 16-year-old New Zealander Mitch Evans who became the youngest ever winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix[1] and who is believed to have become the youngest driver to win an international grand prix anywhere in the world.[2] The Giles Motorsport driver won by three seconds from another 16-year-old competitor, Russian Daniil Kvyat, of Victory Motor Racing. Australian ETEC Motorsport driver Scott Pye was third.

Evans started from pole position alongside Nick Cassidy[3] and won the drag race to the first corner. Evans, Cassidy, Kvyat and Pye quickly built a gap on the field.

On lap 16 Cassidy spun, bringing to an end to the direct threat to the lead held by Evans who controlled the second half of the race from the front to win from Kvyat and Pye.[4] British driver and grandson of 1964 and 1965 NZ Grand Prix winner, Josh Hill finished fourth winning a battle for the position with Australian Nick Foster. German driver Mario Farnbacher was sixth also winning his position battle with Russian Ivan Lukashevich. Cassidy finished a disappointing eighth ahead of Kotaro Sakurai and Jordan Skinner. New Zealand open-wheel legend Ken Smith also completed full race distance. Jamie McNee was the only other driver to be classified.

Defending race champion Earl Bamber, a late entry into the race, withdrew on lap 19.

Classification

Results:[5]

PosNoDriverTeamCarLapsGap
1 1 Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 38m 55.818s
2 29 Daniil Kvyat Victory Motor Racing Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +3.2
3 19 Scott Pye ETEC Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +4.9
4 20 Josh Hill ETEC Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +14.0
5 13 Nick Foster Giles Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +14.3
6 48 Mario Farnbacher Giles Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +16.5
7 5 Ivan Lukashevich M2 Competition Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +16.9
8 7 Nick Cassidy Giles Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +21.4
9 4 Kotaro Sakurai M2 Competition Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +24.6
10 22 Jordan Skinner M2 Competition Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +26.4
11 11 Ken Smith Ken Smith Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 35 +22.5
12 8 Jamie McNee ETEC Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 32 + 3 laps
Ret 2 Earl Bamber Bamber Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 18
Ret 17 Alastair Wootten DART International Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 14
Ret 36 Alex Lynn Giles Motorsport Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 13
Ret 87 Damon Leitch Victory Motor Racing Tatuus TT104ZZ Toyota 1

References
  2. "Formula One's Next Big Thing". Forbes. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. Martinez, Peter (13 February 2011). "Mitch Evans youngest NZ Grand Prix winner". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
Preceded by
2010 New Zealand Grand Prix		 New Zealand Grand Prix
2011		 Succeeded by
2012 New Zealand Grand Prix
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