Liam Lawson: Driving Bruce McLaren's Le Mans GT40 Was a 'Once-in-a-Lifetime' Experience

Liam Lawson says getting behind the wheel of Bruce McLaren's 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 at last weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed was a once-in-a-lifetime experience he expects to never replicate. The Racing Bulls driver admitted he was left shaking after the run, calling it an emotional moment for a New Zealander who grew up surrounded by the legacy of his country's most celebrated racing hero.

Why it matters:

The drive offered Lawson a rare, tangible connection to the foundations of both McLaren's team and New Zealand's motorsport identity. Bruce McLaren remains arguably the most iconic figure in Kiwi racing history, and for a modern F1 driver with personal ties to families who knew McLaren and fellow legend Chris Amon, the significance ran far deeper than a simple demo run. It highlighted how historic machinery can still deliver raw emotional weight that today's precision-engineered grand prix cars rarely replicate in the same way.

The details:

• Lawson was visibly overwhelmed after the drive, stating he would "probably never have a feeling like that again in a race car."
• The GT40 was the car that carried McLaren to victory at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, a story partly told in the film Ford v Ferrari.
• Lawson emphasized his personal connections to mentors who knew Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon's families, adding an intimate layer to the experience.
• Despite a busy schedule at Goodwood, the GT40 run stood out as the undeniable highlight of his weekend.

The big picture:

While Lawson's focus is locked on his F1 career with Racing Bulls, moments like these provide a grounding reminder of the sport's heritage. The opportunity to physically engage with a machine so central to McLaren's origin story—and to his own national racing narrative—delivered a perspective that no modern simulator or grand prix weekend can match.