Cian Shields described staying with AIX Racing as a “no brainer,” confirming his return to the team for the 2026 season. His contract renewal was announced in early October.
Shields shared that his first year brought many challenges but also valuable lessons that are now translating into progress. He noted:
“It has been a difficult year for us, and we’ve made some changes behind the scenes, but I think we’ve learned with every weekend and we’re finally getting somewhere.”
He emphasized the strong collaboration within the team, highlighting that this was key to his decision to stay.
“The team works well together, all the management, mechanics and everyone else – it was a no-brainer to stay with them. There was no reason to go anywhere.”
Shields also pointed out the benefits of consistent teamwork for his performance throughout race weekends:
“I feel comfortable within the team, and stability definitely helps with performing on a weekend. To work with the same people, they know what you like and you know what they like, it definitely helps.”
The driver described how time in the car has helped improve communication and feedback between himself and the team. Having a more experienced teammate, Joshua Duerksen, allowed for valuable data comparisons in search of better performance.
“The more laps you do in the car, the more you learn.”
AIX Racing and Shields appear poised for further improvement in the upcoming season.
Author's summary: Cian Shields highlights the importance of stability and teamwork as key reasons for re-signing with AIX Racing, aiming to build on lessons learned during a challenging rookie year.