Van Gisbergen 'in a league of his own': McLaughlin

Series leader Shane van Gisbergen has been “in a league of his own” in 2021, according to Scott McLaughlin.

When the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship resumes in Sydney this month, van Gisbergen will again the one to beat.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver has won 11 of 19 races this season, and enjoys a 276-point lead over teammate Jamie Whincup.

Van Gisbergen was arguably McLaughlin’s most consistent challenger during the latter’s trio of titles between 2018 and 2020.

Between 2017 and 2020, McLaughlin won 48 races for the Shell V-Power Racing Team before he clinched a full-time IndyCar seat with Team Penske.

Last weekend, McLaughlin was crowned IndyCar’s Rookie of the Year at the Long Beach season finale.

Much has been said about whether McLaughlin’s departure opened the door to van Gisbergen’s dominance.

Notably, Mark Skaife lamented McLaughlin’s exit, saying a greater 2021 rivalry with van Gisbergen went begging.

Regardless, van Gisbergen has turned a corner in 2021; he won at least one race at six of seven events.

The one event he didn’t win a race - May’s OTR SuperSprint - he still scored the most points of the weekend.

Earlier this year, when asked by New Zealand radio The Rock’s The Morning Rumble why he’d been so dominant in 2021, van Gisbergen joked it was because of McLaughlin’s absence.

However, McLaughlin praised van Gisbergen, who is a hot favourite to add to his 2016 championship.

“I actually got asked abut [van Gisbergen’s comments] at a press conference in America,” McLaughlin told the station.

“It was big news here in America… but he’s not lying!

“Shane is…he honestly is in a league of his own right now.

“I’m just proud because at the end of the day, you know, we were rivals, heavy rivals back home in Australia and New Zealand."

The season will resume under lights on October 29 in Sydney, where van Gisbergen famously defeated McLaughlin in 2018.

When the 2020 season resumed at the same venue last year, McLaughlin got one back on his countryman.

Van Gisbergen has flown the New Zealand flag in Supercars since McLaughlin’s departure.

However, McLaughlin reaffirmed how van Gisbergen has followed his IndyCar journey every step of the way.

“We always had a lot of respect,” McLaughlin said of van Gisbergen.

“Out of everyone in that sport, Shane is the one that messages me more often than not.

“We’ve got a good relationship and we’re proud to be flying the Kiwi flag."