IndyCar could soon have another flying Kiwi on the grid, one who was long destined for the heights of Formula 1.
Marcus Armstrong may become the third full-timer from New Zealand in the North American series next year alongside Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin if all goes to plan.
It’s Dixon who has been the driving force behind Armstrong’s ambition to take on IndyCar.
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With six IndyCar titles to his name and 53 wins, Dixon is undoubtedly the best driver of the modern age.
“Certainly, IndyCar is the thing I want to do – there’s no secret,” Armstrong told RACER.
“I’ve always been attracted to the championship from a young age because I am a Kiwi and I’ve been watching Scott Dixon kick ass since I was about two years old.
“I’d love to come, and there’s obviously nothing official, but it’s certainly my first choice. I’m working towards it.”
Christchurch-born Armstrong has long called Maranello home.
Armstrong was part of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2017 until just last year and spent much of his junior career living in Italy and racing for Prema.
In that time, he won the Italian Formula 4 Championship, was second in the German Formula 4 Championship and claimed second on debut in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
The step up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship came in 2020. A podium in his first race bode well for the future, but it’s been anything but easy since then.
With the end of a tough three-year tenure between three teams coming to an end, Armstrong has yet to crack the top 10 in the championship.
He currently sits 12th with one round remaining in his most successful season to date, which features three wins.
Having not found the success he so desperately craved to make it to the top tier, the 22-year-old has set his sights on IndyCar.
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Armstrong has long had an eye on IndyCar, venturing to the United States in 2021 to attend the inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.
Earlier this year, he was linked to a switch from Formula 2 to IndyCar.
Recently, he tested with Dale Coyne Racing at Sebring International Raceway, marking the first step towards a full-time drive.
“That was a lot of fun,” Armstrong said of the test.
“Coming into the day I was aware of how intense IndyCar is, and certainly the identity of an IndyCar is different to every category with the reactiveness of the steering wheel and the kick-back and how hard you need to drive it.
“So I was aware of that coming into the day and it certainly lived up to its expectations just in the sense that you do have to drive it hard.
“The weight distribution is quite a lot of different and it just seemed very powerful out of corners, and then obviously, corner entries, it’s got quite a lot of grip compared to what I’m used to.
“And it was a lot of fun because you can push hard and not suffer any consequences on a corner exit. So from my point of view, it’s a lot of fun to drive.”
As for 2023, team owner Dale Coyne said Armstrong is an attractive option for the team should it add a third car to its program.
The team currently has David Malukas and Takuma Sato on its roster.
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