New Zealand’s flagship junior single-seater series returns for its 21st season this weekend and its first under the new FIA Regional Trophy format, with two new teams and a new push-to-pass system to boot. Feeder Series tells you everything you need to know about the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy season and the 19 drivers on a grid replete with rising stars.

By Kaylene Lau

Last season, M2 Competition’s Arvid Lindblad took the championship title with six wins, 12 podiums and a total of 370 points. He used that title win to help him earn an FIA super licence for his step up to F1 this year. In doing so, he will race against reigning F1 world champion Lando Norris, who won the New Zealand series’ drivers’ title in 2016, when it was still called the Toyota Racing Series in 2016. 

Because of the switch to the FIA Regional Trophy format for 2026, the FR Oceania season will look slightly different with four rounds instead of five. However, there will still be 15 races throughout the season. This move, aimed to attract more drivers based in Europe and North America, brings forward the end of the season by one week, giving drivers additional preparation time for their main campaigns while avoiding testing clashes. 

Under this new concept, the series will move from being a ‘Championship’ to a ‘Trophy’, a formal FIA designation for championships that have fewer than five events. As a result, the series will award fewer super licence points to the drivers. Only the top six drivers will earn points, with six going to the winner and one to the sixth-place finisher. Previously, the top nine drivers earned points, with as many as 18 going to the winner as in other FR championships.

Two new teams will be joining the series this year, bringing the total number of participating teams to six. British-based team Hitech will be joining the series, entering four cars into the championship. American outfit HMD Motorsports will partner with Australian team TJ Speed to enter three cars this year. 

The series’ partnership with Andersen Promotions will continue this year. The partnership offers the top three finishers in USF Juniors, USF2000 or USF Pro 2000 a waived entry fee of $NZ $7,500 (approximately $4,335 US at the time of publication).

Drivers who have also raced in all four rounds of FR Oceania Trophy this year will have a waived entry fee to test in USF Juniors, USF2000 or USF Pro 2000 in either the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in the fall or the USF Pro Championships Spring Training outing early next year. 

Drivers will race the Tatuus FT-60 with Pirelli tyres. The series will also introduce a new push-to-pass system this season, which will give each car an additional 25 horsepower when activated. The series will continue using fossil-free fuels, with cars powered by synthetic biofuel supplied by FU3L, which replaces P1 Fuels as the supplier for 2026. 

The calendar

Under the new format, there will be four rounds on the calendar this year. There will be four races in every round with the exception of the finale at Highlands Motorsport Park, where there will be three. That keeps the total number of races throughout the season at 15, as was the case last year.

Manfeild will not be on the FR Oceania calendar for the first time in the series’ history. Highlands will continue to host the season finale and the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix, while Hampton Downs Motorsport Park will replace Taupo International Motorsport Park as the season opener.

• Round 1: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (8–11 January)
  
• Round 2: Taupo International Motorsport Park (15–18 January)
  
• Round 3: Teretonga Park Raceway (22–25 January)
  
• Round 4: Highlands Motorsport Park (29 January–1 February) 

The format 

On Thursday, drivers will get two 30-minute testing sessions. On Friday, there will be three 30-minute free practice sessions. Two sets of tyres must be used throughout these two days, leaving drivers with three sets of new tyres for qualifying and the races. 

The qualifying format this year will also be slightly different to account for the additional race. There will be two 15-minute sessions, with one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Saturday’s qualifying session will set the grid for race one, and Sunday’s qualifying will set the grid for race four. The grid for race two will be set by reversing the top eight finishers from the first race, while the grid for the third race will be set by the drivers’ combined fastest lap from the first two races. 

Qualifying for the final round will remain the same as last year, with a format that differs from the first three rounds. The session will be split into three portions, with the results from Q1 setting the grid for race one. The slowest cars will be eliminated at the end of each section, and in Q3, there will be eight drivers who will fight for pole for the New Zealand Grand Prix. The grid for the second race that weekend will be formed by reversing the top eight from race one, as in the other rounds. 

The first three races of each weekend will cover 70 kilometres each, while the feature race on Sunday will cover 90 kilometres. The New Zealand Grand Prix will be longer, covering 110 kilometres. 

For races one, three, and four, the winner will be awarded 35 points all the way down to one point for 20th place. The winner of the second race will be awarded 20 points, and points will go to the top 15 finishers. 

Where to watch

Sessions will be streamed on Sky Sport New Zealand and on the Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ YouTube channel. Live timing is available on Speedhive. 

Teams and drivers

M2 Competition

Having dominated the series for the last eight years, M2 Competition will look to continue their successes this year. The last seven title-winning drivers, including last year’s champion Arvid Lindblad, have raced for the team. 

Heading into the series as a title favourite is Freddie Slater (#27), who will use FR Oceania to prepare for his F3 campaign with Trident. The 17-year-old Briton’s main campaign last year was with Prema in FR Europe, which he won with eight wins and a total of 313 points. Alongside that, he made appearances in GB3 with Hillspeed, taking three wins and five podiums, and in F3, taking a podium on debut in the Bahrain sprint. Last winter, he finished second in FR Middle East, while he also recently raced in the FR World Cup in Macau, where he finished first in the qualifying race before crashing out of the main race. 

Sebastian Manson (#22) will return for his sophomore full-time campaign in the series with the team. The 17-year-old finished sixth overall last year with two wins, both of which were in reverse-grid races. The New Zealand native also raced in the USF Pro 2000 championship last year with TJ Speed, finishing 12th overall with 152 points. His best finish was fifth at Portland. 

In preparation for his maiden F3 campaign, Ernesto Rivera (#24) will join M2 this year. This will be the Mexican driver’s first time racing in New Zealand. The 17-year-old Red Bull junior raced in Eurocup-3 last year, finishing fourth overall with three wins, seven podiums and a total of 176 points. He also raced in the last round of the Eurocup-3 winter series as a guest driver, finishing fifth in both races. Rivera will drive for Campos Racing in F3 later this year. 

Rounding out M2’s line-up is Ugo Ugochukwu (#4). The 18-year-old American driver, who won the 2024 Macau Grand Prix at the FR level, raced in F3 last year with Prema Racing, finishing 16th in the standings with two podiums. Ugochukwu also raced in FR Middle East last year, finishing third in the championship with 205 points. He will continue to race in F3 next year but will swap to Campos, where he will partner Rivera once more. 

Mtec Motorsport 

Having competed in the series since 2010, Mtec Motorsport rebranded in 2016 and was formerly known as ETEC Motorsport. Last year, they finished second in the teams’ championship.

The series’ highest-placed returning driver this year is Zack Scoular (#3), the Tony Quinn Foundation scholarship shootout winner for last season. The 18-year-old New Zealander finished second in the championship last year, with two wins, seven podiums and a total of 314 points. He also took the Rookie Cup and the Tasman Cup, the latter of which is awarded to the highest-placing driver from New Zealand or Australia. Scoular’s main campaign was in Eurocup-3 with Palou Motorsport, which he finished 34th overall with a best finish of 15th at Le Castellet. He also raced in two rounds of the Eurocup-3 winter series, with his best finish being 16th in the second race at Portimão. 

Joining Mtec is former Mercedes junior Yuanpu Cui (#5), who will be racing in New Zealand for the first time. Cui mainly raced in GB3 this year with Argenti, though he swapped to Hillspeed for the August Silverstone round before departing the series. The 17-year-old Chinese driver finished 18th in the standings with 122 points. He also raced in two rounds of FR Europe with Prema, with his best finish being 13th at Hockenheim, and in two rounds of FR Middle East with Pinnacle Motorsport, with his best finish being 15th at Dubai. 

Louis Sharp (#11) will race on home soil for the first time since 2022, when he competed in the opening four rounds of the South Island F1600 Championship and finished fifth overall. Last year, the New Zealander raced in F3 with Rodin Motorsport, finishing 26th in the standings with 11 points. This year, Sharp will move away from Rodin for the first time since 2022, swapping to Prema Racing for his second year in F3. The 18-year-old’s campaign in New Zealand will be supported by a $NZ 100,000 scholarship from the Tony Quinn Foundation. 

Supercars driver Ryan Wood (#40) will make the switch to single-seaters with his entry into the FR Oceania Trophy. This year, 22-year-old Wood raced with Walkinshaw Andretti United in the Supercars championship, Australia’s most popular domestic racing series. He finished 10th in the standings with one win. The New Zealander also raced in GT World Challenge Australia in the Pro-Am class, finishing fourth overall with 123 points.  

Giles Motorsport 

Giles Motorsport have competed in the series since 2008, with both Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans taking the championship title for the team in the Toyota Racing Series era. Last year, 2024 Supercars champion Will Brown raced for the team and won the New Zealand Grand Prix. The team will field two entries this year.   

Joining Giles Motorsport is Nolan Allaer (#52), who will race in New Zealand for the first time. Last year, the 23-year-old American raced in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports, finishing 16th in the standings with a total of 192 points. His best finish was ninth, which he achieved at both Gateway and Laguna Seca. 

Partnering Allaer at Giles Motorsport is Jack Taylor (#50). The Australian driver last raced in GB4 with Fortec Motorsports, finishing 10th overall in the standings with two wins, two further podiums and a total of 219 points. This will be the 17-year-old’s first time racing in New Zealand. 

Kiwi Motorsport 

Racing in the series since its inaugural season in 2005, Kiwi Motorsport underwent a name and partial ownership change in 2020, having previously been known as Victory Motor Racing. Last season, the team fielded three drivers, but they will only run two cars this year. 

Joining Kiwi Motorsport for his maiden campaign in New Zealand is Yevan David (#21). The 18-year-old Sri Lankan raced in Euroformula Open last year, finishing second in the championship with six wins, 14 podiums and a total of 345 points. He also raced in one round of GB3 with Xcel Motorsport in August at Silverstone, with a best finish of 10th in the second race. David will step up to F3 this year with AIX Racing. 

Stepping up to FR competition full-time this year is Cooper Shipman (#14). The 17-year-old American won the 2025 F4 United States championship with Kiwi, taking nine wins, 13 podiums and a total of 298.5 points. After clinching the championship a round early, Shipman skipped the F4 US finale to race in the final round of FR Americas, finishing third on debut. He will continue in the series this year.

Hitech 

British-based team Hitech will join the FR Oceania Trophy grid for the first time this year. The team also currently compete in F2, F3, GB3, British F4, F1 Academy and the Formula Winter Series. They last raced in an official FR series in 2023, when they entered the FR Middle East championship. Championship partners Toyota Gazoo Racing are currently the title sponsors for Hitech, and the Japanese marque has placed two of their drivers with the team.

Toyota junior Jin Nakamura (#12) will join Hitech for his first season in the FR Oceania Trophy. The Japanese driver raced in FR Europe and FR Middle East last year with R-ace GP, finishing 10th in the standings in both series with a victory at Dubai in the latter and one more podium in each. Nakamura also raced in one round of the Le Mans Cup in the LMP3 class with R-ace. The 19-year-old ended the year by racing in the FR World Cup, finishing 14th in the qualifying race and being classified 19th in the main race. Nakamura will step up to F3 later this year with Hitech.

Joining Hitech is Kanato Le (#19), who will be racing in New Zealand for the first time ahead of his F3 campaign with ART Grand Prix. Last year, the 18-year-old Japanese driver mainly raced in FR Europe for ART, finishing 14th overall in the championship with a total of 30 points and a best finish of fourth in the second race at Spa. His FR Middle East campaign early last year went considerably better, and he finished eighth with 119 points. He also took part in three rounds of GB3 last year with Hillspeed and claimed three podiums at Spa, one of which was a win. He ended the year by finishing 15th in the qualifying race and 11th in the main race of the FR World Cup.

Reigning British F4 champion Fionn McLaughlin (#33) will enter his only FR races this winter in New Zealand before joining Nakamura in Hitech’s F3 line-up. The 18-year-old Red Bull junior took the British F4 title with five wins, 14 podiums and a total of 363.5 points. The Irishman also raced in FWS earlier in the year, finishing third overall. McLaughlin finished off his 2025 season in the F4 World Cup in Macau, where he finished 12th in the qualifying race and 13th in the main race.

Finally, rallying star Kalle Rovanperä (#69) will make the switch to single-seaters this year, starting with a campaign in New Zealand. The Finnish driver, 25, won two World Rally Championship titles in 2022 and 2023, making him the youngest world rally champion by several years. As part of his Toyota-supported single-seater switch, Rovanperä will compete in Super Formula with KCMG later this year before a planned pivot to F2 in 2027. 

TJ Speed with HMD Motorsports

Australian team TJ Speed Motorsports will partner with American team HMD Motorsports and enter the series for the first time this year. The two teams are already partnered in USF Pro 2000 and Indy NXT via a driver development pipeline, while Tim Neff, the owner of TJ Speed, is also an engineer for HMD Motorsports in Indy NXT. The team will field three cars in FR Oceania. 

Joining the team to race in the series this year is James Wharton (#13). Last year, the 19-year-old Australian raced in F3 with ART Grand Prix, finishing 18th in the standings with 25 points. Wharton also made his F2 debut in the round with Trident at Qatar, where he retired in the sprint race and finished 19th in the feature race. He will return to F3 next year but will make the swap to Prema Racing, with whom he raced from 2022 to 2024. 

Ricardo Baptista (#41) will make the step up to FR this year. The 18-year-old Brazilian most recently raced in Brazilian F4, finishing 10th in the standings with one win and a total of 74 points. He also raced in rounds four and six of Spanish F4, with his best finish being 25th at Le Castellet. Baptista also made one-off appearances in FWS in Valencia, Euroformula Open at the Red Bull Ring and Eurocup-3 in Barcelona as a guest driver.   

Trevor LaTourrette (#8) will round out the team’s line-up. The 17-year-old American most recently raced in the Skip Barber Race Series, in which he finished fourth with a total of 325 points. This will be his FR debut. 

The grid at a glance

Team	#	Driver
M2 Competition	4	Ugo Ugochukwu
	22	Sebastian Manson
	24	Ernesto Rivera
	27	Freddie Slater
Mtec Motorsport	3	Zack Scoular
	5	Yuanpu Cui
	11	Louis Sharp
	40	Ryan Wood
Giles Motorsport	50	Jack Taylor
	52	Nolan Allaer
Kiwi Motorsport	14	Cooper Shipman
	21	Yevan David
Hitech	12	Jin Nakamura
	19	Kanato Le
	33	Fionn McLaughlin
	69	Kalle Rovanperä
TJ Speed with HMD Motorsports	8	Trevor LaTourrette
	13	James Wharton
	41	Ricardo Baptista

Header photo credit: Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ