Shane van Gisbergen approached four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen for his advice ahead of the Cup Series race at Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit and went on to win his second NASCAR Cup Series race.
With Trackhouse Racing being backed by Red Bull, van Gisbergen was able to connect with Verstappen for his input. The Dutchman has won five times at the Mexican GP venue and thus was the perfect source to impart his knowledge.
Van Gisbergen led for a heroic 60 laps, dominating the race by finishing 16.5 seconds ahead of runner-up Christopher Bell. Making the feat more special was the fact that this was NASCAR’s first race outside the USA after 1958.
Verstappen has been known to dominate F1 Grands Prix similarly, making his advice to van Gisbergen more valuable. Speaking to the media after the race, the Mexico City Cup Series race winner said:
“I just look for every advantage I can. I know he’s raced here in the rain and he’s a friend of mine, and I walked out on to pit road this morning and it was amazing how slick it was.
“Normally on a wet circuit the tarmac has grip and the white lines are slipperier. It was the opposite. It was like ice how slippery it was out there.”
While van Gisbergen ended the weekend on a high note, the same could not be said about Verstappen, who secured second place at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Van Gisbergen started the race on pole, giving him that extra edge. Speaking after the race, the three-time Supercars champion stated further:
“That’s why I’m here, to win road races. But I’m not here to run last on the ovals either. I need to keep getting better to justify being a Cup Series driver. I need to be performing on the ovals, too.
“I feel like we’re really making strides, but yeah, this is what I’m here to do, make the playoffs, put another Trackhouse car in the playoffs, and yeah, can’t wait to do the victory lunch during the week at Trackhouse and just see how stoked everyone is there. You see the effort everyone puts in, and they don’t get the glory. They’re just stuck at the shop. I love taking that and sharing that moment with them during the week.”
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