Artem Markelov is a Russian racing driver from Moscow who became one of the longest-serving and most successful competitors in the GP2 and FIA Formula 2 era, taking eight feature/sprint wins and finishing as championship runner-up in 2017.
Junior career
Markelov began in karting in 2009 before moving into single-seaters with ADAC Formel Masters in 2011 and the ATS Formula 3 Cup, finishing runner-up in the latter in 2013 with two wins and a string of podiums.
GP2 and Formula 2
He made his GP2 Series debut in 2014 with RUSSIAN TIME and would spend several seasons with the team as it transitioned into the rebranded FIA Formula 2 Championship. His standout year came in 2017: across the 22-race campaign he won at the Red Bull Ring, Spa-Francorchamps, Jerez and Abu Dhabi (with sources also citing a Bahrain feature win), took seven podiums and 210 points, and finished second in the standings behind champion Charles Leclerc — also helping RUSSIAN TIME, alongside Luca Ghiotto, to the teams' title.
Markelov stayed with RUSSIAN TIME in 2018, taking three more wins to finish fifth. For 2019 he switched to BWT Arden mid-season from his home round at Sochi, having earlier stood in at short notice for MP Motorsport at Monaco, where he scored strong fourth and sixth places. In 2020 he continued with the same operation now badged HWA RACELAB, as the squad effectively succeeded the Arden entry.
Formula 1 link
Markelov's F1 exposure came as a Renault test and development driver. He drove for the team in first practice at the 2018 Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, his sole official F1 session, but never raced in the championship.