Christopher Bell Exposes the Key Factor Behind Shane van Gisbergen’s Mexico Cup Race Win

Joe Gibbs Racing star driver Christopher Bell reveals the advantage that helped Shane van Gisbergen to win the Mexico City Cup race.

Christopher Bell Exposes the Key Factor Behind Shane van Gisbergen’s Mexico Cup Race Win

Christopher Bell and Shane van Gisbergen (Via IMAGO and @TeamTrackhouse/X)

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a disappointing run for three times Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, who is in his rookie season, until the Mexico City weekend. The racer who was P33 in the point table pulled of magical road course racing run to secure the victory, with a mega 16+ second’s lead. Now Christopher Bell who finished the race P2, has given his assessment of the event.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star driver asserted that even if he had the set-up of Shane van Gisbergen’s car, the victory wouldn’t have come as it was the more the driving masterclass that earned the veteran the win. Christopher Bell went onto discuss his performance in the Cup and Xfinity series, in the Mexico City weekend. The star driver feels he was good in the event, but not good enough to match the elite level of SVG.

I would love to say [it would be] a different setup, but I think it was more driver. Both races this weekend, between the Xfinity car and the Cup car, I was good, just not good enough, and I lacked a little bit.

Christopher Bell said via RACER.

The No:20 Toyota driver admitted that his failure to win against Trackhosue drivers in the both series’ shows he needs to work on himself more and learn from the likes of SVG on maximising the cars potential on every corner. Bell seems to be confident that if he can drive better, he would be able to close the gap of Shane van Gisbergen and eventually beat him.

The fact that I was a little bit off in both of them – I think I just need to work on myself a little bit and figure out what Shane was doing through a couple sections of the racetrack. My guys have been bringing really good road course cars for a long time now, so if we come back, I’ll probably bring something pretty close and try to drive a little bit better and see if I can close the gap on him.

Christopher Bell added.

Christopher Bell takes the blame for the disappointing result

In a separate interview, Bell talked about how his Joe Gibbs Racing crew gave him great cars, the third fastest of the day, in both the events. It was the driver factor that was supposed to make the change in the race and he failed convert the homework he did to success on the track, making him realize he has to work more himself.

Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell (Via IMAGO)

So, both days, in the Xfinity car (in Saturday’s race) I was a third-place car. Today, I felt like I was a third-place car. I think more than anything it was just me. I need to do a little bit more homework and figure out where I can be better to keep up with these guys.

Christopher Bell said.

The TRD drivers shouldn’t be too hard on himself, as it was not just him that got humbled by SVG. The Trackhouse veteran has superior road course racing experience compared to any other driver in the garage and it hard to beat that expertise. But at the same time the Cup drivers have drivers the Next-Gen car more, so not all the advantage is with SVG.

In the coming weeks, Bell will have three more road course races where he can redeem himself and beat SVG. But it won’t be easy, as there will be multiple other drivers coming in hoping to do that same, some of them with more experience of the conditions. It would be interesting to see how everything is going to playout for the TRD team.

Also Read: (Video) Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell Fumble Podium Champagne Celebration at Mexico City