Max Esterson has confirmed that he will move up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2024, as he joins Jenzer Motorsport on the F1 package.
The American proved himself as a race-winner in his two year GB3 stay, racing with Douglas Motorsport and Fortec Motorsport, and became a member of the BRDC Rising Stars programme in the process.
Esterson, the first American to win the Formula Ford Festival, has only raced in single-seaters for three seasons, having transitioned from eSports, where he is one of iRacing's leading competitors.
Having made an exploratory step into FIA F3 for events at Silverstone and Hungary last year, he first teamed up with Jenzer Motorsport for post-season testing and again at the Macau Grand Prix. He now joins the Swiss squad for the full 2024 campaign, and is the third 2023 GB3 graduate to confirm their place in the series, with Callum Voisin and Joseph Loake locked in at Rodin Carlin. Luke Browning and Cian Shields (Hitech Pulse-Eight), plus Tommy Smith (Van Amersfoort) and Christian Mansell (ART GP) are also confirmed to be on the grid, meaning at least seven contenders will be recent GB3 graduates.
“After completing the official post-season 2023 test days with our team as well as the prestigious Macau World Cup, American racing driver Max Esterson will take on the challenge of competing as a rookie in the FIA F3 Championship with Jenzer Motorsport this season" said Team Principal Andreas Jenzer. "As Max is competing with the American flag and sponsors, we will work to bring the next American driver into the FIA F1 paddock!”
Esterson said: “I'm excited to be joining Jenzer Motorsport and to be racing in FIA F3. Jenzer has a great history of success and has proven they can run at the front in F3, which has to be considered one of the most competitive series in the world.
“It's a big step up for me with more power, more downforce, and a heavier car, but I feel like I've gelled well with Jenzer's family environment in the post-season tests last year and at the Macau Grand Prix in November. I'm grateful to Andreas and everyone at the team for the opportunity and to all my supporters including iRacing who have stepped up and helped me make this move. We're working hard to be well prepared for Bahrain in February and I'm excited to get going!”