Max Esterson’s rookie campaign in the 2025 F2 season was one characterised by struggles and frustration for the American driver. After making his series debut in the final two rounds of the 2024 F2 season, Esterson stepped up into F2 for the 2025 season with Trident.
Esterson’s campaign in F2 was cut short as he parted ways with the team after 11 rounds of the 2025 F2 calendar. The American driver concluded his maiden campaign 23rd in the Standings. He was unable to clinch a point during his run in the series.
A rocky season opener
The 2025 F2 Australian GP marked the beginning of Esterson’s maiden campaign in the series. The American driver entered the season aiming to clinch victories and even the 2025 championship title. However, the 2025 F2 season opener was a weekend to forget for Esterson as he struggled to extract pace from the car all weekend.
After placing himself 22nd on the grid during Qualifying, Esterson was looking to gain positions through the field during the Sprint. Unfortunately, he would instead find himself spinning off the track and beached in the gravel, leading to an early retirement.
Signs of improvement
Despite the challenging season, Esterson’s progress throughout the season is still worth noting. The American driver found himself just outside the points on multiple occasions, a clear display of his racing potential.
The 23-year-old’s most promising weekends were in Austria and Silverstone. At the 2025 F2 Austrian GP, Esterson found himself placed towards the back of the grid yet again in 19th during Qualifying that weekend. However, he avoided the chaos on the track and finished the race in 10th during the Sprint. A clean and composed drive from lights out in the Feature led him to finish in 15th.
Esterson seemed to have found his rhythm entering the following weekend at Silverstone. The weekend started on a high note for the American with a career-best Qualifying in 14th. This was a promising start to the weekend for Esterson; however, he found himself struggling for pace during the Sprint. He finished the Sprint in a disappointing 21st on the grid. The American driver was able to redeem himself in the Feature with his best finish of the season in 13th.
There were many instances on track where Esterson was able to show a glimpse of his speed and racecraft. The American driver was able to showcase his potential through many recovery drives throughout his maiden F2 campaign. However, it was evident that he was unable to show his full potential while struggling with his car.
A series of misfortunes
Esterson’s rookie campaign had multiple DNFs caused by technical difficulties and misfortune on track. During his 11-round run in the 2025 F2 season, the American driver faced a total of four DNFs.
The majority of Esterson’s DNFs were primarily out of his control, with two out of the four being due to technical difficulties. On top of struggling with the car, there were times the Trident car failed the American driver. At the 2025 F2 Bahrain GP, the Trident driver faced technical difficulties and required assistance to restart his car. However, he would later run off track and officially retire from the race. Esterson would soon face technical difficulties once again at his final weekend in F2. An engine failure during the Sprint at the 2025 F2 Monza GP resulted in another DNF for Esterson.
Notorious for being one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar, the Circuit de Monaco is known for its tight corners and lack of run-off areas. The American driver faced his third early retirement of the season during the Feature. Misfortune struck Esterson as he found himself caught up in a multi-car collision caused by contact between Victor Martins and Alex Dunne.
What’s next for Esterson
The 2025 F2 season was a season to forget for Esterson, with the struggles faced on track and with his car. Trident was not in an optimal position throughout the season. The Italian outfit had only scored a total of two points and finished last in the Teams’ Standings. Esterson was not the only driver struggling in Trident, with his teammate, Sami Meguetounif, also having a rough season.
Esterson may have parted ways with Trident and departed from F2 in 2025; however, the American driver still has plans to continue racing. Following his exit from the series, Esterson transitioned to sports car endurance racing. In October 2025, he made his sports car debut in the Petit Le Mans series, driving a Porsche 963 for JDC-Miller MotorSports. The American driver later made his Rolex 24 debut with RLL Team McLaren in the GTD Pro category in 2026.
Esterson will be focusing on endurance racing for the 2026 season; however, he has made it known that he plans to return to single-seater racing. The American driver will be looking to build on the foundation from his F2 campaign and improve on his racecraft. He may have shown a glimpse of his speed on track, but has yet to maximise on his true potential in the series.
