Shane van Gisbergen’s 2016 season marked the breakthrough many had predicted for years. After joining Triple Eight Race Engineering from Tekno Autosports, the talented New Zealander immediately proved he could combine his natural speed with the consistency required to win a championship. In his very first season with the team, van Gisbergen established himself as a regular front-runner, claiming race victories across a variety of circuits and steadily building a championship advantage through a series of composed, high-quality performances.
Rather than relying on outright dominance, van Gisbergen’s campaign was defined by his ability to maximise every weekend. He consistently turned difficult races into valuable championship points while capitalising whenever opportunities arose, allowing him to edge clear of teammate Jamie Whincup and the rest of the field as the season reached its closing stages.
The title was secured at the penultimate event in Sydney in dramatic fashion. After receiving a drive-through penalty early in the race following contact with Mark Winterbottom, van Gisbergen fought his way back through the field to finish third. The remarkable recovery was enough to clinch his maiden Supercars Drivers’ Championship with a race to spare, becoming the first New Zealander since Jim Richards in 1991 to claim the title.
Van Gisbergen’s 2016 championship was more than just a personal milestone—it announced the arrival of a new force in Supercars. Winning the title in his first season with Triple Eight validated the team’s decision to recruit him and laid the foundation for one of the most successful partnerships in modern Supercars history. It was the beginning of a legacy that would see Shane van Gisbergen become one of the category’s greatest champions.
