Kiwi youngsters gearing up to make motorsport history

March 26, 2021

Marcus Armstrong and Liam Lawson are both competing in Formula 2, the first time there has been two Kiwis in the class.

It is set to be a historic weekend in New Zealand motorsport, as for the first time ever two Kiwis will compete in a Formula 2 race.

Christchurch's Marcus Armstrong and Pukekohe's Liam Lawson are gearing up for their season debut in the stifling heat of Bahrain, the first race of the nine-month season.

It has been a great start of the year for Armstrong, the 20-year-old drove Ferrari's 2018 F1 car in January and topped the timesheets in F2 testing in Bahrain just three weeks ago.

Armstrong, now in his second F2 season, lines up with his new team, DAMS, as he seeks to improve on his 13th place finish in the 2020 season.

Meanwhile fellow Kiwi Lawson, just 19, is driving in F2 for the first time, backed by Red Bull.

The youngster has been flying around tracks at over 200 kilometres per hour for the past five years, but admitted F2 was a step up, especially physically.

"One thing I didn't expect was the braking to be so strong," Lawson told 1 NEWS.

"It's kicking back at you and if you're not strong enough it'll kick out of your hands.

"When you're pulling that much G [force], you can't really breathe."

Just 20 per cent of F2 drivers have made the leap to F1, last year's F2 champion Mick Schumacher, son of Michael, the latest to do so as he kicks off his F1 career tonight.

While history may be against them, Lawson knows good results will open up new opportunities.

"You need one good season in Formula 2 and who knows what the outcome will be," he said.

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