The Most Famous
RACING DRIVERS from New Zealand
This page contains a list of the greatest New Zealander Racing Drivers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,080 Racing Drivers, 10 of which were born in New Zealand. This makes New Zealand the birth place of the 19th most number of Racing Drivers behind South Africa, and Canada.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary New Zealander Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous New Zealander Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of New Zealander Racing Drivers.
1. Bruce McLaren (1937 - 1970)
With an HPI of 65.33, Bruce McLaren is the most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages on wikipedia.
Bruce Leslie McLaren (30 August 1937 – 2 June 1970) was a New Zealand racing driver, automotive designer, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1970. McLaren was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1960 with Cooper, and won four Grands Prix across 13 seasons. In endurance racing, McLaren won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 with Ford. He founded McLaren in 1963, who have since won nine World Constructors' Championship titles and remain the only team to have completed the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Born and raised in Auckland, McLaren initially studied engineering at the University of Auckland before dropping out to focus on his motor racing career. Having entered his first hillclimbing event aged 14, he progressed to Formula Two in 1957, winning the New Zealand Championship the following year. His performance at the New Zealand Grand Prix attracted the attention of Jack Brabham, whom he partnered at Cooper in 1959 having already debuted at the 1958 German Grand Prix, where he finished fifth in his Formula Two machinery. Aged 22, McLaren took his maiden win at the United States Grand Prix, becoming the then-youngest driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix, a record which stood for 44 years. Remaining at Cooper for 1960, McLaren took a further win in Argentina—amongst several podiums—as he finished championship runner-up to teammate Brabham. After a winless 1961 season for Cooper, Brabham won the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing third in the championship to Graham Hill and Jim Clark. Cooper struggled for performance from 1963 to 1965 as Lotus, BRM and Ferrari dominated the championship, prompting McLaren to enter Formula One with his own team. McLaren founded Bruce McLaren Motor Racing in 1963, with whom he competed from 1966 until his death in 1970. With the team, he won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1968 and finished third in the 1969 World Drivers' Championship. In June 1970, he died whilst testing the McLaren M8D at Goodwood, having achieved four wins, three fastest laps and 27 podiums in Formula One. Outside of Formula One, McLaren competed in nine editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1959 to 1969, winning in 1966 alongside Chris Amon in the Ford GT40 Mk II. He was also a two-time champion of the Canadian-American Challenge Cup in 1967 and 1969, driving his own M6A and M8B, and won the Tasman Series in 1964. His legacy has been cemented with the McLaren Group, whose achievements have included winning nine World Constructors' Championships, two Indianapolis 500s, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. McLaren was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991.
2. Denny Hulme (1936 - 1992)
With an HPI of 61.45, Denny Hulme is the 2nd most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.
Denis Clive Hulme (18 June 1936 – 4 October 1992) was a New Zealand racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1965 to 1974. Nicknamed "The Bear", Hulme won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1967 with Brabham, and won eight Grands Prix across 10 seasons. Born and raised in the South Island, Hulme was the son of World War II sniper and Victoria Cross recipient Clive Hulme. Hulme achieved eight race wins, one pole position, nine fastest laps and 33 podiums in Formula One. He also finished third in the overall standing in 1968 and 1972. Hulme showed versatility by dominating the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) for Group 7 sports cars. As a member of the McLaren team that won five straight titles between 1967 and 1971, he won the individual Drivers' Championship twice and was runner-up on four other occasions. Following his Formula One tenure with Brabham, Hulme raced for McLaren in multiple formats—Formula One, Can-Am, and at the Indianapolis 500. Hulme retired from Formula One at the end of the 1974 season but continued to race Australian Touring Cars. Hulme was nicknamed 'The Bear', because of his "gruff nature" and "rugged features"; however, he was also "sensitive (...) unable to express his feelings, except in a racing car". During the early part of his career, Hulme preferred to race bare foot as he believed that it gave him a better feel of the throttle. This changed in 1960 when he started competing in the more highly regulated European championships. During his career, Hulme drove the most powerful cars of his era. He raced in F1, F2, Indycars, saloon/touring cars, CanAm and endurance races, all during the same season. After retiring from F1, he even drove in truck races. Hulme's death by heart attack, while driving a BMW M3 during the Bathurst 1000 in Australia, made him the seventh former Formula One champion to die, and the first to die of natural causes (versus three racing incidents, two incidents on public roads and one incident involving aircraft).
3. Chris Amon (1943 - 2016)
With an HPI of 59.64, Chris Amon is the 3rd most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Christopher Arthur Amon (; 20 July 1943 – 3 August 2016) was a New Zealand racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1976. Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win a Formula One Grand Prix, Amon won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 with Ford, as well as the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967 with Ferrari. Born and raised in Bulls, Amon learned to drive aged six and initially competed in hillclimbing before progressing to national motor racing competition in 1962. Amon joined Reg Parnell Racing the following year, making his Formula One debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. After a non-classified championship finish in his rookie season, Amon scored his maiden points finish with fifth-place at the 1964 Dutch Grand Prix. Following intermittent Grand Prix appearances in 1965, Amon became a test driver for McLaren and moved into sportscar racing. After winning the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Bruce McLaren, Amon was signed by Ferrari for 1967, achieving his maiden podium at the Monaco Grand Prix amongst winning the 24 Hours of Daytona. He finished a career-best fifth in the World Drivers' Championship. After struggling with reliability at Ferrari in 1968 and 1969, Amon departed the team in search of Cosworth DFV-powered machinery. He scored several further podiums with March in 1970 before a two-year stint with Matra. Amon then made sporadic appearances for Tecno and Tyrrell in his 1973 campaign. Amon had founded Chris Amon Racing in 1966—when he entered the Italian Grand Prix in a privateer Brabham BT11—and competed with them at four Grands Prix in 1974, driving the AF101. Amon made further appearances for BRM, Ensign and Wolf–Williams before retiring at the end of the 1976 season. Amon was renowned for his poor luck in Formula One, losing out on several World Championship race wins due to mechanical faults. Across 14 seasons, he achieved five pole positions, three fastest laps and 11 podiums, with two non-championship wins at the 1970 BRDC International Trophy and the 1971 Argentine Grand Prix. Outside of Formula One, Amon won the Tasman Series in 1969 with Scuderia Veloce. Amon was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, and inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
4. Howden Ganley (b. 1941)
With an HPI of 47.82, Howden Ganley is the 4th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
James Howden Ganley (born 24 December 1941) is a former racing driver from New Zealand. From 1971 to 1974 he participated in 41 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix. He placed 4th twice and scored points 5 times for a total of 10 championship points (only the top 6 places scored points). He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races.
5. John Nicholson (1941 - 2017)
With an HPI of 44.86, John Nicholson is the 5th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
John Barry Nicholson (6 October 1941 – 19 September 2017) was a racing driver from Auckland, New Zealand. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 20 July 1974. He scored no championship points. Nicholson was the 1973 and 1974 British Formula Atlantic champion, using a Lyncar chassis and in his 'day job' was an engine-builder for McLaren. Nicholson also worked for Cosworth, Lotus and Embassy Hill, and he prepared a Saab engine for use in a Reynard Formula Three car. Following his Formula Atlantic success, Nicholson commissioned Martin Slater of Lyncar to build him a Formula One car, despite, by this time, having established his own engine building business, which meant he was unable to commit to a full grand prix season. His race entries, therefore, were mainly in non-championship races. He entered the British Grand Prix in 1974 and 1975 and qualified for the latter race. He was classified 17th, five laps behind, despite crashing in the heavy storm towards the end of the race. Nicholson subsequently planned a further and stronger attempt at Formula One with a privateer McLaren M23 but the purchase of the chassis fell through. He did continue in both Formula Two and Formula 5000 in 1976 before racing in his native New Zealand in January 1977. After retiring from racing, Nicholson turned his sporting attention to powerboat racing as well as continuing with his business interests. He died in 2017 at the age of 75.
6. Graham McRae (1940 - 2021)
With an HPI of 42.44, Graham McRae is the 6th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Graham Peter McRae (5 March 1940 – 4 August 2021) was a racing driver from New Zealand. He achieved considerable success in Formula 5000 racing, winning the Tasman Series each year from 1971 to 1973, and also at the 1972 L&M Continental 5000 Championship in the United States. McRae's single outing in the Formula One World Championship was at the 1973 British Grand Prix on 14 July 1973, where he retired in the first lap. McRae also competed in the 1973 Indianapolis 500, finishing in 16th position and earning Rookie of the Year.
7. Mike Thackwell (b. 1961)
With an HPI of 40.26, Mike Thackwell is the 7th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Michael Christopher Thackwell (born 30 March 1961) is a former racing driver from New Zealand, who participated in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula 1. The sixth youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He scored no championship points. He had previously attempted unsuccessfully to qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix which was held on 31 August 1980. Thackwell has been described as a "teenage sensation", a "maverick" and as "something of a cult hero". Outside Formula One, he competed successfully in Formula Three, Formula Two, Formula 3000 and sports cars, amongst other categories. In 1984, Thackwell won the European Formula Two Championship. He was runner up in that championship in 1983, and in its successor, the International Formula 3000 Championship, in 1985. In each case, he was driving a works Ralt. Also in 1986, he won the Pau Grand Prix, again in a works Ralt. Later in the year, he combined with Henri Pescarolo to win the 1000km Nürburgring sports car race, in a Sauber C8.
8. Liam Lawson (b. 2002)
With an HPI of 36.70, Liam Lawson is the 8th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Liam Lawson (born 11 February 2002) is a New Zealand racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One for RB. Born in Hastings and raised in Pukekohe, Lawson began competitive kart racing aged seven. Lawson—who is mentored by three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner Ken Smith—graduated to junior formulae in 2015, winning his first title in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship as a privateer. He finished runner-up in the 2017 Australian F4, 2018 ADAC F4 and 2019 Euroformula Open championships, before winning the Toyota Racing Series in 2019 with M2. Lawson then progressed to FIA Formula 3 in 2020 before moving to FIA Formula 2 in 2021, where he placed third the following season with Carlin. He also competed in the 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Red Bull AF Corse alongside Alex Albon, finishing runner-up to Maximilian Götz amidst a controversial finale. Lawson then competed in the 2023 Super Formula Championship, finishing runner-up to Ritomo Miyata with Mugen. A member of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2019, Lawson was a reserve driver for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri—later known as RB—from 2022 to 2024. Lawson made his Formula One debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, replacing an injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri for five Grands Prix in 2023, scoring his maiden points finish in Singapore. He replaced Ricciardo full-time at the re-branded RB in 2024 from the United States Grand Prix onwards.
9. Brendon Hartley (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 36.37, Brendon Hartley is the 9th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Brendon Morris Hartley (born 10 November 1989) is a New Zealand racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota. Hartley competed in Formula One from 2017 to 2018. In endurance racing, Hartley has won a joint-record four FIA World Endurance Championship titles—tied with Sébastien Buemi—and is a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, alongside his teammates Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard, and also went on to win the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship alongside Bernhard and Earl Bamber. He won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans with Bamber and Bernhard, the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, and the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans with Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa. He formerly competed in Formula One for Scuderia Toro Rosso, making his debut at the 2017 United States Grand Prix.
10. Tony Shelly (1937 - 1998)
With an HPI of 35.60, Tony Shelly is the 10th most famous New Zealander Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Anthony Lionel Shelly (2 February 1937 – 4 October 1998) was a racing driver from New Zealand. He competed in Formula One in 1962, participating in 3 World Championship Grands Prix, and several non-Championship races. He scored no World Championship points. He also owned a BMW dealership called Shelly Motors in Honolulu. The business had previously belonged to Shelly's father and had been sold on his death. Shelly subsequently re-acquired the business and became an American citizen in 1975. He divided his time between a home in Honolulu and one in New Zealand, where he died.
People
Pantheon has 12 people classified as New Zealander racing drivers born between 1936 and 2002. Of these 12, 6 (50.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living New Zealander racing drivers include Howden Ganley, Mike Thackwell, and Liam Lawson. The most famous deceased New Zealander racing drivers include Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, and Chris Amon. As of April 2024, 2 new New Zealander racing drivers have been added to Pantheon including Liam Lawson, and Hayden Paddon.
Living New Zealander Racing Drivers
Go to all Rankings
Howden Ganley
1941 - Present
HPI: 47.82
Mike Thackwell
1961 - Present
HPI: 40.26
Liam Lawson
2002 - Present
HPI: 36.70
Brendon Hartley
1989 - Present
HPI: 36.37
Hayden Paddon
1987 - Present
HPI: 24.47
Mitch Evans
1994 - Present
HPI: 23.82
Deceased New Zealander Racing Drivers
Go to all RankingsBruce McLaren
1937 - 1970
HPI: 65.33
Denny Hulme
1936 - 1992
HPI: 61.45
Chris Amon
1943 - 2016
HPI: 59.64
John Nicholson
1941 - 2017
HPI: 44.86
Graham McRae
1940 - 2021
HPI: 42.44
Tony Shelly
1937 - 1998
HPI: 35.60
Newly Added New Zealander Racing Drivers (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Racing Drivers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 6 most globally memorable Racing Drivers since 1700.
