2017 New Zealand Grand Prix
# 2017 New Zealand Grand Prix

The 2017 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Circuit Chris Amon near Feilding on 12 February 2017. It was the sixty-second New Zealand Grand Prix and fielded Toyota Racing Series cars. The event was also the third race of the fifth round of the 2017 Toyota Racing Series, the final race of the series.

## Report

### Practice

| Session | Day | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Session | Day | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
| Practice 1 | Thursday | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 1:03.244 |
| Practice 2 | Thursday | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 1:03.122 |
| Practice 3 | Friday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.826 |
| Practice 4 | Friday | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.878 |
| Practice 5 | Friday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.416 |

### Race 1

**Qualifying**

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 1:02.474 | 1 |
| 2 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 1:02.546 | 2 |
| 3 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 1:02.553 | 3 |
| 4 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.662 | 4 |
| 5 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.706 | 5 |
| 6 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.730 | 6 |
| 7 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.951 | 7 |
| 8 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 1:02.981 | 8 |
| 9 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.982 | 9 |
| 10 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.992 | 10 |
| 11 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 1:03.061 | 11 |
| 12 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 1:03.074 | 12 |
| 13 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 1:03.096 | 13 |
| 14 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 1:03.128 | 14 |
| 15 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 1:03.280 | 15 |
| 16 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 1:03.357 | 16 |
| 17 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 1:03.376 | 17 |
| 18 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 1:03.506 | 18 |
| 19 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 1:03.635 | 19 |
| - | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | no time | - |
| Source(s): ||||||

**Race**

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 20 | 22min 08.872sec | 3 |
| 2 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 20 | + 3.453 s | 1 |
| 3 | 9 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 20 | + 4.590 s | 1 |
| 4 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 6.529 s | 1 |
| 5 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 7.689 s | 1 |
| 6 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 14.397 s | 1 |
| 7 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 14.688 s | 1 |
| 8 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 20 | + 15.528 s | 1 |
| 9 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 17.596 s | 1 |
| 10 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 21.194 s | 1 |
| 11 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 21.561 s | 1 |
| 12 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 22.634 s | 1 |
| 13 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 20 | + 25.708 s | 1 |
| 14 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 25.946 s | 1 |
| 15 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 20 | + 26.552 s | 1 |
| 16 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 26.958 s | 1 |
| 17 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 27.690 s | 1 |
| 18 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 16 | + 4 laps | 1 |
| 19 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 16 | + 4 laps | 1 |
| Ret | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1 | Accident | 1 |
| Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) – 1:02.929 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 2

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 15 | 22min 08.872sec | 3 |
| 2 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 15 | + 0.830 s | 1 |
| 3 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 15 | + 3.316 s | 1 |
| 4 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 6.587 s | 1 |
| 5 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 15 | + 6.705 s | 1 |
| 6 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 6.906 s | 1 |
| 7 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 15 | + 7.856 s | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 7.993 s | 1 |
| 9 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 8.767 s | 1 |
| 10 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 15 | + 9.159 s | 1 |
| 11 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 10.557 s | 1 |
| 12 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 10.560 s | 1 |
| 13 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 12.599 s | 1 |
| 14 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 13.115 s | 1 |
| 15 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 14 | + 1 lap | 1 |
| 16 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 14 | + 1 lap | 1 |
| 17 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 14 | + 1 lap | 1 |
| Ret | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 5 | Retired | 1 |
| Ret | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 1 | Retired | 1 |
| Ret | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 1 | Retired | 1 |
| Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) – 1:03.438 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 3

**Qualifying**

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 1:02.258 | 1 |
| 2 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 1:02.299 | 2 |
| 3 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.324 | 3 |
| 4 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 1:02.384 | 4 |
| 5 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.440 | 5 |
| 6 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.478 | 6 |
| 7 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.509 | 7 |
| 8 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.643 | 8 |
| 9 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 1:02.665 | 9 |
| 10 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 1:02.672 | 10 |
| 11 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 1:02.681 | 11 |
| 12 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 1:02.715 | 12 |
| 13 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 1:02.734 | 13 |
| 14 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 1:02.856 | 14 |
| 15 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 1:02.965 | 15 |
| 16 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 1:02.976 | 16 |
| 17 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 1:03.078 | 17 |
| 18 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 1:03.174 | 18 |
| 19 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 1:03.307 | 19 |
| 20 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 1:03.508 | 20 |
| Source(s): ||||||

**Race**

Daruvala led a flag-to-finish victory to win his first New Zealand Grand Prix and become the first Indian to do so. Marcus Armstrong finished a strong second, staying in contention for the most of the race. Thomas Randle finished third and in doing so, won the 2017 Toyota Racing Series championship, with a five-point margin over nearest contender, Pedro Piquet. The first lap saw a major incident where Christian Hahn and Luis Leeds collided at turn seven - causing the former to roll and crash heavily.

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 35 | 38min 43.048sec | 3 |
| 2 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 35 | + 0.855 s | 1 |
| 3 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 35 | + 1.213 s | 1 |
| 4 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 35 | + 2.304 s | 1 |
| 5 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 35 | + 8.142 s | 1 |
| 6 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 35 | + 16.641 s | 1 |
| 7 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 35 | + 20.531 s | 1 |
| 8 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 35 | + 23.483 s | 1 |
| 9 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 35 | + 23.987 s | 1 |
| 10 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 35 | + 24.846 s | 1 |
| 11 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 35 | + 25.600 s | 1 |
| 12 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 35 | + 25.982 s | 1 |
| 13 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 35 | + 27.439 s | 1 |
| 14 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 35 | + 28.758 s | 1 |
| 15 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 35 | + 29.449 s | 1 |
| 16 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 35 | + 38.638 s | 1 |
| 17 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 35 | + 54.619 s | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 32 | + 3 laps | 1 |
| Ret | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Ret | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) – 1:03.426 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

## Championship standings

### Drivers' Championship standings

| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | Thomas Randle | 855 |
| 2 | Pedro Piquet | 850 |
| 3 | Richard Verschoor | 843 |
| 4 | Marcus Armstrong | 792 |
| 5 | Jehan Daruvala | 781 |
