Marcus Armstrong doesn’t fit into the box of a breakout star.

There were no fireworks, no runaway weekends, no sudden championship charge. Yet by season’s end in 2025, the numbers told a clear story: Armstrong had arrived.

The 25-year-old New Zealander quietly delivered the most complete season of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career, finishing a career-best eighth in the championship standings. It marked another steady step forward for a driver whose progression has been methodical, intentional and increasingly difficult to ignore.

Armstrong’s INDYCAR SERIES journey began in 2023 as a part-time driver with Chip Ganassi Racing. In just 12 starts, he impressed immediately, recording five top-10 finishes and earning Rookie of the Year honors en route to a 20th-place points finish. With a full-time opportunity in 2024, Armstrong continued to build, finishing 14th in points with eight top-10s and four top-five finishes across 17 races.

His move to Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian for the 2025 season proved to be a turning point. Week after week, Armstrong delivered exactly what teams crave – consistency. He was a regular fixture inside the top 10, rarely making mistakes and maximizing results.

“We were consistently finishing inside the top 10,” Armstrong said. “We weren’t doing anything spectacular, which kind of hurts a bit. To really fight for the championship, you need more podiums and more pace in general, to be at the pointy end, winning races and scoring big points.

“Finishing sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth every weekend is solid, but that’s basically where we were.”

That self-assessment underscores the challenge facing Armstrong entering 2026. Consistency can elevate a driver into the top 10. To climb higher, something more is required.

Marcus Armstrong

Armstrong (photo, above) enters this season intent on turning consistency into contention -- and learning how to race like he has nothing to lose.

Rather than relying solely on data or simulator work during the offseason, Armstrong took an unconventional route to find that extra edge. He returned to European karting, a place where reputations mean nothing and aggression is a prerequisite.

“I did five weeks of karting with Tony Kart, my old European karting team,” Armstrong said. “It was interesting to see how the kids drive these days and how they’re all on TikTok and everything. I’m not old, but I definitely felt old around them.

“They’re the next ones coming through, the next Lewis Hamiltons, the next Scott Dixons. That was who I was driving with.”

The experience was equal parts humbling and invigorating. European karting, Armstrong explained, offers no concessions regardless of age, résumé or accolades.

“European karting is brutal,” he said. “They don’t care who you are. They’ll treat you like rubbish on track. It was great for learning racecraft and working with such a strong team.

“The resources Tony Kart has are incredible. If the kart understeers, they’ll just roll out a new chassis. It’s extreme, but it was a fun offseason excursion.”

Beyond sharpening his instincts behind the wheel, Armstrong gained insight into how driving styles have evolved since his karting days nearly a decade ago, lessons he plans to apply in the No. 66 Honda.

“You can almost tell a kid’s nationality by how he races,” Armstrong said. “The way he leans into the corner, whether he’s British, or if he’s more aggressive, maybe Dutch. It’s bizarre, but you can really see it.

“I spent as much time watching as I did driving. There’s nothing like karting. There’s no fear of crashing at that level, everyone races so hard, and you end up learning a lot.”