Max Esterson – America’s unlikely next F1 star: ‘We need a GP hero’

“My dad being involved with sport, I always watched up close,” he says. “But I never thought I’d participate.”

Starting on a games console aged 10, Esterson proved to be a dab hand despite his tender years.

“I started on iRacing, and became one of the top racers in the world [by the time he was 15],” he says. “It was with GT3 sports cars, not single seaters.

“One summer my Mum wanted me out of the house, so I went to a karting summer camp. I loved it and just progressed from there.”

A year later, at almost 17 – relatively old in junior driver terms – he would begin racing an FF1600, the American Formula Ford equivalent.

“I tested a Formula Ford in the US, and instantly it felt natural to me compared to the kart,” he told the F3 website.

“It wasn’t too alien to me I guess from all the sim experience and that was when I knew it was something I could do.”

After briefly competing in US Formula Ford, Esterson decided to give his real-life racing dream a real go, but instead of doing it in America or the more conventional European route, the New Yorker opted for British Formula Ford – with a small amount of backing from iRacing.

The junior category was once the proving ground for young talent having been a crucial platform for Jenson Button, Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill, but has now fallen down the pecking order. However, Esterson and his family felt it was worth a shot.

“It was cost, and value [for money],” he explains on choosing his junior pathway. “The Road to Indy [IndyCar’s junior ladder] is quite expensive.

“You get so much track time in the UK. The testing is set up so well, the level is just higher [than FFord in the US]”

Esterson admits the fast and furious pack racing nature of Formula Ford took some getting used when he made his 2020 debut, but says the quality of competition on offer compared to the equivalent level in the US made it attractive.

“Maybe it’s not the pinnacle anymore, but it’s still very cool,” he opines. “You get a combination of older guys who are not doing it professionally anymore, like Joey Foster, then also younger drivers – so it’s a good mix.”

After a promising debut 2020 UK FFord season, he utilised the renowned team USA scholarship to do a full season in 2021 – and mightily impressed.

Scoring 13 podiums in 20 races, he then came home second at the FFord Festival before going one better at the Walter Hayes Trophy – Esterson had arrived.

“He ticks all the boxes and understands what it takes to become a racing driver,” Jeremy Shaw, the man behind the scholarship, told Motor Sport after the race. “He’s grown up so much this year in England. He really raised his mental game, and he delivered the goods at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.”

Esterson’s FFord efforts were immortalised by iRacing, in tribute to his prowess behind the virtual wheel. His Ray FF1600 was recreated in the simulator programme for players to use, with his winning car scanned and then tuned in the game by Esterson to make it as realistic as possible.

Back in the real world, though hardly embarrassing himself, results were trickier to find when racing for smaller teams after stepping up to GB3 in ’22 and ’23, a race win at Donington in his first year being the highlight.

It’s been a similar story in FIA F3 this year, with Esterson racing for the minnow Jenzer squad. Not that he’s bitter about it.

“I was not especially frustrated [in GB3]. It was a good opportunity, and I qualified second at Silverstone.

“[Then in F3] You don’t get much practice time either – I’ve done well at the tracks I’ve raced at before.”

Those in the know had been taking note. Esterson had undertaken some testing work for the Trident team in its Formula Regional cars, and when Verschoor moved on, the F2 team manager Giacomo Ricci gave him a call.

Now he’s set to make his Qatar debut in under two weeks. The New Yorker will have to get used to a lot in F2 pretty quick – including doing his first ever pitstop.

“The first time I will drive the car will be in practice,” he highlights. “On the sim, it’s definitely quick on the straight, but it’s also pretty heavy so is a bit slower in the corners.

“I think it’s good for my style, because you need to save the tyre. It’s not that nimble a car, it’s quite big.

“It will be a bit of a step up, but we’ve been training. You’re always told to train in preparation for the next level.

“It would be nice to score points, but I’m just aiming to finish the races cleanly and learn how to manage the tyre, execute races.”

Recent US F2 representatives Jak Crawford (two wins) and Juan Manuel Correa (three podiums) have almost five seasons of second-tier experience between them, but Esterson is hoping he’ll be the one to make that final jump.

Is he patriotic? Does he want to fly the US flag in F1, and does his country need it?

“Definitely,” he says. “Five to ten years ago, nobody knew what F1 was. Now, everyone seems to.

“[But] I think if America wanted a deeper sort of connection to the sport, or more genuine fans, a US driver would definitely help. It would be nice if there were a few more of us around.”

Esterson’s rise has been unlikely. His clear inner steel is belied by a placid outlook. He just wants to race at the end of the day, in Qatar or elsewhere.

“F1 is the ultimate goal – but as long as I’m driving I’ll be happy.”