This interview was conducted by James Phillips and Fleur Rogerson
Marcus Armstrong has spoken exclusively to Fastest Formula News about his victory aspirations for the new IndyCar season.
Armstrong comes into the 2025 NTT IndyCar season with a new team and higher expectations, hoping to secure a victory.
2025 is the Kiwi’s third season in IndyCar but second ‘full’ season including Ovals and notably the Indy 500. However, Armstrong has left Chip Ganassi Racing for 2025, swapping Palou and Dixon for Felix Rosenqvist as his teammate in Meyer Shank Racing for the coming year. The change signifies a new chapter for Marcus Armstrong in IndyCar.
Armstrong’s highlight in 2025 was a hard-earned podium in Detroit and although it felt like there were other potential podiums on the cards, bad luck and issues throughout the season kept Armstrong from the top three steps.
He’s looking to improve his consistency in the next season and hopefully take his first win in a wildly competitive series.
From Chip Ganassi to Meyer Shank
Although a team change may seem like a large adjustment the connections between Chip Ganassi and Meyer Shank have made the move ‘seamless’ for Marcus Armstrong.
Remarking about his move, he said: “It’s been fantastic. I’ve got a great relationship with everyone over at Chip Ganassi. I actually kept my race engineer and one of my data engineers.”
The connections also mean the pool of knowledge Armstrong heads into 2025 with is significant. He admitted, “I know the engineering crew quite well on my car but also Felix’s [Rosenqvist], It’s been quite a seamless transition.”
Alongside the team connections, he said his own experience is aiding in his progress as he moves teams and looks towards the challenges in the new year.
I feel like I understand IndyCar a whole lot better now at this point. So I feel like I’ve joined Meyer Shank at a good time where I’ve got some experience underneath me and also some confidence.”
Testing and St. Petersburg
Since Armstrong’s IndyCar debut, he has been steadily improving throughout the seasons. 2024 was a big step up for the Kiwi, as he introduced Ovals to his schedule making it his first full season in the series. 2024 was also his first Indianapolis 500 which unfortunately ended in the first few laps due to an engine issue.
The drivers got a chance to see how the cars felt around Sebring for the pre-season test. Although, it is hard to gauge much from tests. Armstrong poignantly mentioned, “It’s better to have a good test than a bad test.”
He finished the Monday at Sebring with a time that put him fourth fastest overall which no doubt left Armstrong feeling confident for the opening round. He has clear targets and expectations for 2025.
“My expectations are to be quicker over one lap and just start at the pointy end. The race is long and chaotic so we want to keep our noses clean and be smart, make the right calls.“
“St Pete can either be very chaotic or very straightforward. I’ve had one experience of each racing there, so we’ll do our best to manage the variables.”
Beyond the opening round, there are larger goals for the Kiwi in 2025. He was open about the bad luck he faced along with a slew of reliability issues.
“Consistency is clearly key, making the best of a bad day is a good target to have. Last year we had a fair bit of bad luck, engine reliability with our side was not ideal, and grid penalties for engine changes.”
“Having said that we’ve been building up to this moment where we know how we want to conduct ourselves for this season.”
Is victory possible for Marcus Armstrong this year?
Armstrong was resolute in his response when asked if a win is on the cards in IndyCar for 2025.
“I hope so, I feel like I deserve also my team deserves it. We’ve been working hard to earn success and IndyCar is massively competitive so to be in the top five you need to be really on it. Not only from a driving point of view but also from an engineering and strategy point of view.”
However, he noted how with IndyCar, things can change in the blink of an eye and see a potential victory snatched away.
“There’s a lot that can happen. But for the top five, top three and a win you have to be nailing it.”
Europe v America
Marcus Armstrong is part of a wave of former F2 drivers making their way to the states, and seeking to carve their path in IndyCar.
Though they share their similarities there are glaring differences between the series and beyond the rules or regulations, Armstrong praises the driving and team dynamics in the sport.
“We have Ovals, we have very different characteristic tyres, and the tracks are quite raw and brutal.”
He also noted the racing culture in the States is different from Europe, making an apt comparison to American football.
“The driver is like the quarterback in America, whereas in Europe, it’s usually the technical director who’s making all the decisions. So I feel like as a driver, I’m more in control of my own destiny here and that’s a good feeling.”
IndyCar is known for its Ovals which is something absent from European racing. However, we asked Armstrong which track he would like to see IndyCar tackle.
“Well it’s not European but I would say Macau. That would be great if we were able to do that, I raced there in Formula 3 plenty of times and it’s just a really great circuit. Challenging but it would suit IndyCar a lot.”
Marcus Armstrong will be in action at St Petersburg this weekend.
Feature Image Credit: Meyer Shank Racing
