Marcus Armstrong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcus Armstrong
Armstrong in 2022
Nationality	New Zealander
Born	Marcus John Armstrong (2000-07-29) 29 July 2000 (age 24) Christchurch, New Zealand
IndyCar Series career
29 races run over 2 years
Team(s)	No. 66 (Meyer Shank Racing)
Best finish	14th (2024)
First race	2023 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race	2024 Music City Grand Prix (Nashville Superspeedway)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 1 0
Previous series
2020–22 2019 2018 2017–19 2017 2017 2016 2016 2016	FIA Formula 2 Championship FIA Formula 3 Championship FIA Formula 3 European Toyota Racing Series ADAC Formula 4 Italian F4 Championship Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC BRDC British F3 Autumn Trophy
Championship titles
2017	Italian F4 Championship

Marcus John Armstrong (born 29 July 2000) is a talented New Zealand motor racing driver. He currently races in the exciting IndyCar series. Marcus drives the No. 66 Honda car for Meyer Shank Racing. Before IndyCar, he competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2020 to 2022. He also finished as the runner-up in the 2019 Formula 3 season. From 2017 to 2021, Marcus was part of the special Ferrari Driver Academy.

Marcus began his single-seater racing journey in 2014. In 2017, he won his first big title in the 2017 Italian F4 Championship. He also came in second place in the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship. In 2018, he moved up to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, finishing fifth. The next year, in 2019, the championship became the FIA Formula 3 Championship. Marcus finished second, right behind his teammate Robert Shwartzman. He then moved to 2020 Formula 2 Championship but had some tough seasons. He finished 13th in 2020, 2021, and 2022 before making the big move to IndyCar.

Marcus's Early Racing Days

Marcus Armstrong was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. He started racing go-karts in 2010. He won many major titles in New Zealand from 2011 to 2014. In international karting, his best result was 12th in the Karting World Championship in 2015.

While still karting, Marcus started racing single-seater cars in 2014. He competed in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and finished seventh. Experts at Motorsport.com even called him one of the most exciting karting talents in 2016.

Starting in Lower Racing Series

2016: Trying New Cars

In November 2015, Marcus got to test a Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 car. In 2016, he tried out different racing series. He raced in BRDC British Formula 3 and two Formula Renault 2.0 series. He raced as a guest driver in the final round at Estoril, finishing ninth and tenth.

2017: Racing in New Zealand

In November 2016, Marcus was invited to join the Ferrari Driver Academy. This is a special program for young drivers who might race for Ferrari one day. He was confirmed as a member the next month. He also raced in the 2017 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. Marcus won his very first race in this series. He had two more wins and two second-place finishes. He ended up fourth in the championship.

Winning in Italian Formula 4

In February 2017, Marcus announced he would race in both the ADAC F4 and Italian F4 championships. He joined the Prema Powerteam. He started the season slowly, but then his performance really took off. He won his first race of the year at Vallelunga. He won three more races and was on the podium in every race at the second Mugello round. At the final race in Monza, he finished second. This was enough for him to win the championship with two races left.

Close Call in ADAC Formula 4

Marcus also raced in all the ADAC F4 races, as they didn't conflict with his Italian F4 schedule. He had a tough start but then bounced back. He won his first ADAC F4 race at the Red Bull Ring. He also got two more podium finishes there. He continued his strong performance at Oschersleben, with another win and a second place. Another win at the Nürburgring put him in the running for the championship. However, he just missed out on the title to Jüri Vips by a tiny 4.5 points. Marcus finished as the vice-champion.

Stepping Up to FIA Formula 3

2018: A Busy Year

Armstrong racing in the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship

In 2018, Marcus returned to the 2018 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. He started perfectly, finishing third in the first race and winning the next two. These were his only wins that season. He kept getting podiums in the next races, building a good lead. But he only got one more podium in the next five races. This meant his lead shrunk. In the final race, he had a mechanical problem while leading and dropped to seventh. This caused him to finish third in the championship, losing by 15 points.

Marcus continued with Prema and moved up to the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. He raced alongside other Ferrari junior drivers, Robert Shwartzman and Guanyu Zhou. He got a podium in just his second race at Pau. His first win came at the Norisring, where he also got two more podiums. This put him in the lead of the championship. He kept the lead for the next two rounds, getting two more podiums. At Silverstone, he struggled with his tires and lost the lead. He finished second in one race at Misano. But he had a retirement from pole position in another race. He got his ninth and final podium at the Red Bull Ring. However, three retirements in the final round at Hockenheimring dropped him from third to fifth in the standings. He scored 260 points.

At the end-of-season 2018 Macau Grand Prix, Marcus finished eighth in his first race there.

2019: Formula 3 Runner-Up

Armstrong driving his car during a 2019 Formula 3 race.

Before his main season in 2019, Marcus raced again in the 2019 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. He started strong with podiums in all three races. He got his first win at Teretonga. He won two more races at Hampton Downs, taking the championship lead from Liam Lawson. He had a suspension problem at Taupo but still won the final race there. However, he lost the championship lead by five points heading into the last round. In the final race, he finished second, and Liam Lawson became champion by ten points. Marcus finished as runner-up with 346 points and five wins.

Marcus rejoined Prema Racing for the first-ever 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship. He raced with his 2018 teammate Robert Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala. In April 2019, Marcus joined Nicolas Todt's All Road Management group. In the first race in Barcelona, he qualified third and finished in the same spot. In Race 2, he started well but ended up fifth. At Paul Ricard, he qualified fifth. In Race 1, he collided with Jake Hughes while fighting for second, but managed to finish sixth. In Race 2, he stalled at the start but made an amazing comeback to finish sixth.

At the Red Bull Ring, Marcus was fastest in practice and then got his first pole position. He lost the lead but got it back. He finished third, getting another podium. In Race 2, he moved up to second behind Shwartzman. On the last lap, he tried to overtake Shwartzman, but they touched, and Marcus got a flat tire, dropping him to 19th. At Silverstone, he qualified second. He finished third in Race 1. In Race 2, he moved up to fourth after other drivers had problems. At the Hungaroring, he qualified 13th. He finished eighth in Race 1, which gave him reverse pole for Race 2. He won Race 2 from start to finish, his first victory of the season. Going into the summer break, Marcus was fourth in the standings with 98 points.

Marcus had his worst qualifying of the year at Spa-Francorchamps, starting 19th. In Race 1, he climbed to eighth, earning reverse pole for Race 2. He won Race 2 over Yuki Tsunoda. He dedicated his win to Anthoine Hubert, who sadly died in a crash the night before. At Monza, he qualified second but was moved to seventh for driving too slowly. In Race 1, he quickly moved to second and then took the lead. But he lost the lead to Shwartzman and finished second. He was later penalized and dropped to 21st. He had a small collision in Race 2 and finished 14th, scoring no points. In the final round at Sochi, he qualified third. In Race 1, he took the lead at the first corner. He lost it but then got it back, even passing Shwartzman on the last lap to win. Shwartzman still won the championship. In Race 2, Marcus moved up to third and then second. This meant he finished as the vice-champion, just one point ahead of Daruvala. Overall, Marcus scored 158 points, with three wins, seven podiums, three poles, and four fastest laps.

Marcus also raced in the 2019 Macau Grand Prix, finishing eighth.

Racing in FIA Formula 2

2020: A Challenging Start

On November 28, 2019, it was announced that Marcus would move up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship. He joined ART Grand Prix and partnered with Christian Lundgaard. Marcus felt "massively privileged" and "really confident" before his first F2 season. In the first race in Austria, he qualified 13th. He made an early pit stop, which paid off, and he finished second on his debut. In the sprint race, he started strong but had a mechanical problem and had to stop. In the second Austrian race, he qualified 12th. He finished seventh in the main race. Starting second in the sprint race, he dropped to third but then got it back when another driver had a problem. This was his second and last podium of the season.

After this, Marcus didn't score points for the next six races. In Hungary, he had his first top-ten qualifying. But he had a collision and had to retire. In the sprint race, he made a great start but just missed out on points, finishing ninth. The next five races were also tough. In Mugello, he qualified fourth, his best qualifying of the year. He finished ninth, scoring points for the first time since Austria. In the sprint race, he finished 11th.

In Russia, Marcus started 14th and finished ninth in the main race, scoring more points. In the sprint race, he made a mistake and finished 14th. He qualified fourth again in Bahrain. He moved up to second place during the race but then dropped back to seventh. Starting second in the sprint race, he was overtaken by other drivers but finished fourth. He ended his season with 11th and 14th place finishes. Overall, Marcus finished 13th in the standings with 52 points. This was his lowest finish in a full racing series. He had two podiums and five other points finishes.

2021: Showing Promise

Armstrong driving his car during the 2021 Silverstone Formula 2 round.

For the 2021 season, Marcus moved to DAMS to race with Roy Nissany. He was fastest on the final day of pre-season testing. In the first sprint race, he had a power loss and retired early. In Sprint Race 2, he climbed to sixth place. He then moved to second after a safety car, but drivers on newer tires passed him, and he finished tenth. In the main race, he started well and was in fourth place. He made a good pit stop under the safety car and led the race. But he lost places and finished fifth. In Monaco, he qualified 14th. He moved up to tenth in the first sprint, which gave him reverse pole for the second sprint. But he had car problems and had to start from the pit lane and then retired. In the main race, he collided with Jüri Vips, ending a tough weekend.

In Baku, he qualified sixth. He finished seventh in the first sprint race. In the second sprint, he crashed into the wall due to cold tires. His main race also ended early when he was hit by another car. By this point, Marcus only had 12 points. In Silverstone, he qualified 14th. He made a great start in the first sprint, finishing ninth. Starting second in the second sprint, he couldn't pass the leader but got his first F2 podium in over a year. He finished 12th in the main race.

In Monza, he qualified 17th and had poor results in the sprint races. In the main race, he started on hard tires, which helped him gain places after a safety car. He finished tenth, later promoted to ninth. In Russia, he qualified 11th and finished both races in the same position.

In the first race in Jeddah, Marcus qualified ninth, giving him second place for the first sprint race. He passed Liam Lawson at the start and held him off to win his first Formula 2 race. He said the win was a "reward" for his team's hard work. In the second sprint, he was hit from behind and retired. In the main race, he finished eighth, scoring points. In Yas Marina, he finished tenth in the first sprint, giving him reverse pole again. He was leading the second sprint and on track for a podium, but his engine failed. In the main race, he used a different strategy and finished seventh. Marcus finished 13th in the F2 standings again, with 49 points, two podiums, and five other points finishes. He also beat his teammate Nissany. Marcus admitted that sometimes he felt "a bit blind" and lacked data to push for better results.

2022: Three Wins!

Armstrong racing for Hitech Grand Prix during the 2022 Spielberg Formula 2 round.

After testing with them, Marcus signed with Hitech Grand Prix for the 2022 season. He partnered with Jüri Vips. Before the season, Marcus said he wouldn't "give up" on an F1 seat and wanted to give his all in 2022.

In the first race in Bahrain, he qualified 13th. His race ended early when another driver hit him. He had a much better main race, climbing to third and finishing fifth. In Jeddah, he qualified fourth. In the sprint race, he had a close battle with Vips but then spun and retired. In the main race, he finished fifth.

In Imola, he qualified ninth, giving him second place for the sprint race. He made a great start and won his first race of the year, and second overall, even without a radio! In the main race, he finished 16th. In Barcelona, he finished tenth in the sprint race. In the main race, he fought back to claim seventh.

Marcus qualified seventh in Monaco. Starting fourth in the sprint race, he moved to third when another driver stalled. He stayed there to get another podium. His main race was quiet, finishing seventh. This was his first time getting points in both F2 races in a weekend, moving him to fourth in the standings. In Baku, he qualified fourth. He finished fourth in the sprint race, avoiding crashes. In the main race, he had a collision with his teammate Vips and had to pit for repairs, finishing 12th.

In Silverstone, he finished ninth in the sprint race. In the main race, he finished eighth, scoring points. At the Red Bull Ring, he qualified tenth, giving him reverse pole for the sprint race. He dominated the sprint race, leading every lap to win. In the main race, he was hit by another car and had to stop.

In France, he qualified eighth. In the sprint race, he had a collision and finished 14th after a penalty. In the main race, his race ended on lap 1 after being hit by two other drivers. In Budapest, he qualified second, his best F2 start. He finished seventh in the sprint race. In the main race, he took the lead at the start. But a slow pit stop caused him to lose places, and he finished sixth.

In Spa-Francorchamps, he qualified 12th. He made a brilliant start in the sprint race, climbing to seventh. In the main race, he finished 13th after a penalty. Zandvoort was better. He qualified ninth and started second for the sprint race. He jumped the pole-sitter and led every lap to win his third race of the season. In the main race, a safety car ruined his strategy, and he finished 14th.

In Monza, he qualified third. He finished sixth in the sprint race but got a penalty. In the main race, he got two penalties for pit lane mistakes and finished 12th. Marcus had a quiet Abu Dhabi weekend, finishing ninth in the main race. Once again, Marcus finished 13th in the standings, with 93 points.

Macau Grand Prix (2023)

In November 2023, Marcus Armstrong returned to Formula 3 for the 2023 Macau Grand Prix with MP Motorsport. He said he had "unfinished business" there. He finished the main race in 18th place.

Marcus and Formula One

At the start of 2017, Marcus became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. This is a program that helps young drivers get to Formula One. He had his first F1 test in January at the Fiorano track. He drove a 2018 Ferrari SF71H car. He said the car was "not too difficult to drive." He tested the same car again in April, driving over 200 kilometers. After his 2021 season, Marcus and Ferrari went their separate ways. He later said he knew staying with the Academy was "a dead end" for him.

Racing in IndyCar

In October 2022, Marcus tested an IndyCar car for the first time with Dale Coyne Racing. The team boss, Dale Coyne, said Marcus was a "very good candidate" for their team.

Chip Ganassi Racing (2023–2024)

2023 Season: Rookie of the Year!

On December 2, 2022, it was announced that Chip Ganassi Racing signed Marcus. He would drive the No. 11 car on road courses and street circuits in the 2023 season. Even though he was a rookie, he knew he had to "get on it straightaway" with his experienced teammates. Marcus finished his first race in St. Petersburg in 11th place. In his second race at Long Beach, he finished eighth. From the sixth to ninth races, he was in the top 10 in most of them. His best finish of the year was seventh place at the 2023 Honda Indy Toronto. He finished in the top 10 only once more, finishing eighth at the Laguna Seca finale. Overall, Marcus finished 20th in the season with 214 points. He won the Rookie Of The Year award, even though he missed some races. He called it "a great bonus."

After the season, he had his first oval test. He then completed the Indy Rookie Orientation Programme in October. This means he can now compete in the famous Indy 500 race.

2024 Season: First IndyCar Podium!

Armstrong racing at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Armstrong competing in 2024 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Marcus extended his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing. He became a full-time driver for the 2024 season. At the Sonsio Grand Prix, Marcus finished fifth. Sadly, his first Indy 500 race ended early due to an engine problem. But he bounced back and got his first IndyCar podium! He finished third at the Detroit race. He had four more top-10 finishes in the last six races, including two fifth-place finishes. Marcus ended the season 14th in the standings with 298 points.

Meyer Shank Racing (2025–)

2025 Season: New Team!

After two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing, Marcus Armstrong will move to Meyer Shank Racing for the 2025 season. He will be teammates with Felix Rosenqvist.

Other Racing Adventures

In November 2022, Marcus tried out an endurance racing car for the first time. He tested an LMP2 Alpine car at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Marcus's Life Outside the Track

Marcus Armstrong hosts a podcast called Screaming Meals. He talks about motorsport and food with his friends, including Formula 2 driver Clément Novalak and IndyCar driver Callum Ilott. When he was growing up, Marcus was a big fan of the 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.

Racing Career Summary

^† As Armstrong was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
* Season still in progress.

Indianapolis 500 Results

See also

In Spanish: Marcus Armstrong para niños