Max Esterson Bio
Maxwell Esterson, known professionally as Max Esterson, is an American racing driver and esports driver born on October 9, 2002, in New York City, U.S. He most recently competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Trident and has also raced in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Jenzer Motorsport. Esterson first gained attention in the sim racing world before transitioning to real-world circuit racing, building a reputation as a versatile competitor across digital and physical motorsport.
Throughout his career, Esterson has competed in a range of single-seater championships, including the GB3 Championship with Fortec Motorsports and Formula Ford events. He is also a former Walter Hayes Trophy winner and has been recognized as a Team USA Scholarship recipient. His career has taken him from karting in New York to international Formula 2 and IMSA SportsCar Championship competition.
Early Life and Background
Maxwell Esterson was born and raised in New York City, where he grew up attending the Allen-Stevenson School. He later attended Regis High School, graduating in 2021. His older brother, Hugh, is also a racing driver, which helped shape Max’s early exposure to motorsport. Growing up in a household with a sibling already involved in racing gave Max direct insight into the demands of the sport from a young age.
At the age of 11, Esterson began his sim racing career on iRacing, a platform known for its realistic driving physics and competitive online community. He quickly rose through the ranks, finishing seventh in the 2019 VRS Pro GT Championship and reaching a ranking within the top 35 road course drivers in the world, as well as the top four in the United States on iRacing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he tutored several established drivers on the platform, including six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and endurance racer Richard Westbrook, further establishing his credentials as one of the top sim racers in the world.
Path to NASCAR
Esterson’s career has been focused primarily on open-wheel and sports car racing rather than stock car competition. He began karting at the age of 16 in 2019 at Oakland Valley Race Park with McAleer Racing, contesting his first partial season in the discipline. His transition from sim racing to real-world competition came in 2020, when he made his single-seater debut in the F1600 Championship Series with Team Pelfrey, taking one victory and finishing the season in fifth overall.
That same year, Esterson also won a single F2000 Championship Series race at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, setting a track record in the process. His performances in Formula Ford earned him a spot on the Team USA Scholarship, which led to international opportunities in the GB3 Championship and ultimately the FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 Championships. Although his professional path has not crossed into NASCAR, his progression through junior open-wheel categories represents a traditional ladder toward top-level motorsport.
Max Esterson Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Esterson’s early career was marked by rapid progression from sim racing to real-world competition. After his karting debut in 2019, he moved into single-seater racing in 2020 with Team Pelfrey in the F1600 Championship Series, securing a victory and a fifth-place championship finish. He also won a one-off F2000 Championship Series race at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and competed in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy at the end of the year, qualifying second in his heat at the Formula Ford Festival and finishing sixth in the Grand Final.
In 2021, Esterson competed in the BRSCC Avon Tyres National Formula Ford Championship with Low Dempsey Racing, scoring two wins and finishing third in the championship. That season, he also finished second in the 50th Anniversary BRSCC Formula Ford Festival and won the Walter Hayes Trophy as part of the Team USA Scholarship, cementing his reputation as one of the top junior Formula Ford talents in the world.
GB3 Championship Breakthrough (2022–2023)
In 2022, Esterson progressed to the GB3 Championship, partnering Tommy Smith and Marcos Flack at Douglas Motorsport. He scored his first top-ten finish at Oulton Park and added a pair of fourth places at Silverstone before achieving his maiden podium and first win in slicks-and-wings machinery at Donington Park. Esterson finished the season seventh in the standings, a strong result for a rookie campaign.
He moved to Fortec Motorsports for the 2023 GB3 Championship season. The year was marked by mechanical difficulties, including engine failures, electrical problems, and red-flag-disrupted qualifying sessions. Despite these setbacks, he showed flashes of pace, including a third-place podium at the final round in Donington Park, and finished the season 11th in the standings. In 2022, he also returned to the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy with Ammonite Motorsport, winning the Formula Ford Festival after the final was shortened by torrential weather and leading every lap of the Walter Hayes Trophy Grand Final before a controversial 4.5-second penalty dropped him to fifth.
FIA Formula 3 (2023–2024)
Esterson made his FIA Formula 3 Championship debut in 2023 with Rodin Carlin, replacing Hunter Yeany for the Silverstone and Budapest rounds. His best result that season was 18th at Budapest, and he was classified 35th overall. Following the season, he partook in the post-season test with Jenzer Motorsport and competed in the Macau Grand Prix with the same team.
In 2024, Esterson joined Jenzer Motorsport on a full-time basis in FIA Formula 3. During the Sakhir sprint race, he qualified tenth and held off Gabriele Minì to finish sixth, his best result of the season. He added a seventh-place finish in the Spa-Francorchamps feature race and impressed at Silverstone by qualifying second in wet conditions. Esterson finished the year 21st in the standings, the highest-placed Jenzer driver.
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2024–2025)
At the end of 2024, Esterson was announced as a replacement for Richard Verschoor at Trident for the final two rounds of the FIA Formula 2 Championship season. He continued with the team for the 2025 Formula 2 season alongside Sami Meguetounif. However, after failing to score points throughout the campaign, Trident and Esterson mutually parted ways prior to the Baku round, with the seat going to Formula 3 graduates Martinius Stenshorne and Laurens van Hoepen.
Trident Era (2024–2025)
Esterson’s time with Trident in FIA Formula 2 represented his first sustained campaign at the level just below Formula 1. While the partnership did not produce points-paying finishes, the experience of competing on Formula 2 circuits and working with an established team was a significant step in his professional development. His departure from the team came as both parties sought new directions following a challenging opening stretch of the 2025 season.
IMSA SportsCar Championship
Following his Formula 2 exit, it was announced that Esterson would make his sportscar racing debut in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving a Porsche 963 for JDC-Miller MotorSports at the prestigious Petit Le Mans event. Esterson described the endurance race as a test owing to his limited sportscar experience, marking his entry into a new discipline of top-level motorsport.
Driving Style and Strengths
Esterson is widely regarded for his smooth and precise driving style, particularly in wet conditions, where he demonstrated his potential by qualifying second at Silverstone in FIA Formula 3. His background in sim racing has given him a strong technical understanding of vehicle setup and race strategy, while his open-wheel career shows comfort across a range of circuit types. These qualities made him a valued development driver in his early Formula 2 rounds with Trident.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Esterson’s most notable results are his Walter Hayes Trophy victory in 2021, his win in the F2000 Championship Series at Pittsburgh in 2020, his first GB3 victory at Donington Park in 2022, and his 2022 Formula Ford Festival triumph. His sixth-place finish in the 2024 Sakhir FIA Formula 3 sprint race remains his strongest result at that level.
Max Esterson Career Wins
Max Esterson has accumulated wins across multiple junior categories, from Formula Ford events to FIA Formula 3 support rounds. His first major victory came in 2020 in the F2000 Championship Series, and he has since added triumphs in the BRSCC National Formula Ford Championship, the GB3 Championship, and the Walter Hayes Trophy and Formula Ford Festival.
Formula Ford Highlights
Esterson’s most decorated single discipline is Formula Ford. He secured two wins in the 2021 BRSCC Avon Tyres National Formula Ford Championship on his way to third in the standings. In 2022, he dominated the Formula Ford Festival with Ammonite Motorsport, taking pole, his heat, and his semifinal before leading every lap of the final, which was shortened by torrential rain. He also claimed the 2021 Walter Hayes Trophy as part of the Team USA Scholarship.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond Formula Ford, Esterson’s victory at the 2022 Donington Park GB3 race marked his first win in slicks-and-wings machinery. He added podiums in GB3 at Donington in both 2022 and 2023 and scored his best FIA Formula 3 result with sixth place at Sakhir in 2024. In sim racing, he won the 2020 Formula Race Promotions iRacing Challenge and the 2021 Road to Indy TireRack.com eSeries.
Max Esterson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Esterson grew up in a New York City household with strong ties to motorsport. His older brother, Hugh, is also a racing driver, and the two have both pursued competitive careers in the sport. The family’s New York roots and the influence of his sibling helped steer Max toward karting at the age of 16 and eventually into professional single-seater racing.
Personal Life
Esterson attended the Allen-Stevenson School in New York City and later graduated from Regis High School in 2021. His early immersion in sim racing on iRacing began at the age of 11, and he later balanced academic studies with his growing racing career. He has continued to base his career around his New York roots while competing internationally in European and American championships.
2025 Season Performance
Max Esterson entered the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season with Trident, continuing his partnership with the Italian team alongside Sami Meguetounif. The campaign proved difficult, as Esterson did not record a points-paying finish during his time with the team. The lack of results led to a mutual decision to part ways with Trident prior to the Baku round, ending his full-time Formula 2 commitments for the year.
Following his departure from Trident, Esterson shifted focus to sports car competition, announcing plans to drive a Porsche 963 for JDC-Miller MotorSports at the Petit Le Mans endurance race. The move represented a new chapter in his career, transitioning from open-wheel racing to prototype endurance competition in one of North America’s premier sportscar events.
Looking ahead, Esterson’s versatility across sim racing, open-wheel, and sportscar categories positions him well for future opportunities. His 2025 season, while challenging, expanded his experience base and opened the door to potential long-term roles in endurance racing or a return to single-seater competition at a different level.