LIAM LAWSON, SHANE VAN GISBERGEN AND MAD MIKE GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN THE ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD CHALLENGE
Motorsport heavyweights Liam Lawson, Shane van Gisbergen and Mad
Mike return to their roots in New Zealand for the ultimate cross-code
showdown: swapping street circuits and speedways for a working farm in
rural New Zealand.
New Zealand, 19 February 2026 – Three world-class drivers Liam
Lawson, Shane van Gisbergen and Mad Mike (Michael Whiddett), went
head-to-head in the ultimate off-road challenge in rural New Zealand –
trading some of the world’s most iconic motorsports venues for uneven
terrain, open paddocks and natural obstacles.
While each is a specialist in his discipline, the Kiwi trio came together to
face off in an unpredictable, cross-discipline battle that stripped motorsport
back to its raw essentials. Across three challenges, they exchanged street
circuits, speedways and drift arenas for the unfamiliar demands of a
working farm – relying solely on speed, control, and judgement.
While the competition was friendly, it quickly revealed their competitive
edge, with each determined to come out on top. The challenges tested how
well their skills translated once the rulebook disappears. Lawson thrived on
precision; Van Gisbergen’s adaptability shone across changing conditions;
and Whiddett turned chaos into opportunity.
“Everything is very high pressure, always performance based - that’s
always behind what we’re doing. To do something for pure enjoyment like
today, the competition is still there because we’re drivers, we obviously
have that, but it’s exciting to be able to do it more on a fun level”, said
Lawson.
Challenge 1: Trophy Truck Time Trial
The action began with a Trophy Truck time trial in Mad Mike’s purpose-
built stadium ProLite truck. Massive jumps, tight corners, and pressure
from the clock left no margin for error. A suspended target added another
twist – miss it, and five seconds were added to the drivers lap time.
The challenge called for rapid adaptation and precise car control as Liam
and Shane wrestled a vehicle unlike their usual rides.
“I honestly was most excited about driving the Pro truck - I’ve done it in sim
racing a little bit, but I’ve never driven one in real life. It’s quite mad how
they drive, how quickly they respond - quicker than my car which is very
impressive,” Lawson said.
Challenge 2: Drift Corner
The drift corner challenge cranked up the chaos – loose dirt and
stationery targets required total commitment. While this was Whiddett’s
domain, expectation meant every step counted. For Lawson and van
Gisbergen, the unpredictable surface forced them to rethink technique and
trust instinct over data – delivering surprising results.
“The highlight from me was seeing Liam crush the drifting,” Whiddett said.
“Coming from a Formula One driver, he’s trained his whole life to keep the
car in a straight edge on the rails like a slot car set. SVG - he’s done rally,
he’s come from motocross, he’s done drifting, he’s podiumed here in NZ
doing drifting. So, I knew Shane was going to drift well.”
Challenge 3: Lawn Mower Race
The final test captured true Kiwi ingenuity: a high-speed lawn mower race
on dirt, complete with a joker lap. It transformed backyard innovation into a
full throttle spectacle, with no aerodynamics or data to rely on.
In the end, Whiddett claimed overall victory.
The battle celebrated grassroots grit, world-class ability and the kind of
backyard brilliance that can turn a farm paddock into a competitive stage.
2 / 3’It was a very organic Kiwi way of racing… setting these unique challenges
that are unique to New Zealand and to us as Kiwis growing up here and
being racing drivers - that was the idea and what we’ve produced today,”
said Lawson.
Watch F1 vs NASCAR vs Drifter HERE.