The Kiwi has had success in Europe in the past, especially during his time as a McLaren GT factory driver.
He won the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup 2016 with Rob Bell and Come Ledogar for Garage 59, thanks to race wins at Monza and Paul Ricard.
That same season he finished third in the Intercontinental GT Challenge after winning the Bathurst 12 Hours with Alvaro Parente and Jono Webb.
He now has a connection to Mercedes through Triple Eight’s GT World Challenge Australia program but has not been able to travel overseas to race due to border controls in Australia and New Zealand.
As soon as the borders are properly opened, however, van Gisbergen would like to get to know the European racing scene anew.
The chances in the endurance world championship, which will switch from GTE to GT3 regulations in 2024, are particularly close to his heart.
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“I would love to go back to Europe,” he said with Will Buxton this week.
“In another [two years] the World Endurance Championship goes to GT3. I would love to come and do that.
Van Gisbergen, Bell and Ledogar won the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and the Kiwi is eager to return to Europe
Photo by: Vision Sport Agency
“I will continue to drive supercars full-time, I love the series. But I really miss the European racing style; super intense, but also very fun.”
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Van Gisbergen hasn’t given up on his dream of racing at Le Mans, which almost became a reality in 2020 when he signed to drive an LMP2 prototype for Eurasia Motorsport.
That was ultimately wiped out by the pandemic.
“I got close in a P2 car last year but obviously COVID made it pretty difficult” [to travel],” he said.
“Hopefully I’ll try to get a place in GT3 next year or the year after next. It’s at the top of the driver’s list, so it’s hard to achieve anything there.”