Ferrari Driver Academy member Marcus Armstrong will switch to the DAMS team for the 2021 Formula 2 season.
The New Zealander arrived in Formula 2 for the 2020 campaign with a glowing CV from the lower junior categories, winning the Italian F4 Championship in 2017 and then finishing runner-up to fellow Ferrari junior Robert Shwartzman in the 2019 F3 Championship.
Armstrong was one of several Ferrari youngsters who got the chance to prove themselves in Formula 2 in 2020, but while the likes of Shwartzman, Callum Ilott, and championship-winner Mick Schumacher put their potential on full show, Armstrong endured a far more difficult campaign.
Driving for ART, the team which took George Russell to the F2 title in 2018 and Nyck de Vries in 2019, Armstrong ended the season P13 in the standings, though he did finish on the podium twice, first in the season-opening feature race in Austria after securing P2, and then in the sprint race at the second weekend at the Red Bull Ring, finishing P3.
But now Armstrong has set his sights on the 2021 F2 title after his move to DAMS was confirmed, the team he drove for in a post-season test in Bahrain in December.
Here’s the car @MarcusArmstrng will be driving in 2021!
What a stunner! ?#F2 #AllezLesBleus
? adripaviotdesigns pic.twitter.com/916yXLl7hV
— DAMS (@damsracing) January 22, 2021
Driver and team face coverings are available now on the official Formula 1 store!
“I’m very excited to be joining DAMS, it’s been a long time coming as there was a lot of interest in working together last season,” said Armstrong, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
“Formula 2 is such a competitive championship and with only eight events it’s important to start on the right foot in an experienced team that’s used to winning.
“DAMS has a massive history, especially in GP2 and F2 – it’s one of, if not the, best to be with.
“In the short time I’ve worked with the team it’s already clear they bring out the best in people and have the resources to give me exactly what I need. We are aiming for the title.
“We’ve discussed that it’s not in my interest to finish second and they firmly agreed because they have the exact same targets.
“By no means is it going to be easy with such fierce competition, but I feel that when I’m in the right environment with a great team I can really do special things.”
In a bid to save costs following the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, F2 and F3 will rotate on the Formula 1 support calendar for 2021.
That means the F2 season has been cut to eight rounds, but with two sprint races per round instead of one, as well as the feature race.
Armstrong is set to take part in Ferrari’s testing session at Fiorano, his first test with the Scuderia.
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