American
Maxwell "Max" Esterson (born 9 October 2002) is an American racing driver who progressed from sim racing into the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 Championships, an unusual route into the top of the junior ladder.
Formula 3
Esterson combined a full 2023 GB3 Championship campaign (11th overall) with four FIA Formula 3 race appearances for Rodin Carlin. In 2024 he contested a full FIA Formula 3 season with Jenzer Motorsport, finishing 21st in the Drivers' Championship.
Formula 2
Late in 2024 Esterson stepped up to FIA Formula 2 with Trident for the final two rounds of the campaign, then committed to a full Formula 2 season with the same team in 2025. The campaign proved difficult: unable to score points, Trident and Esterson parted ways before the Baku round, with the seat going to Formula 3 graduate Martinius Stenshorne.
After F2/F3
Following his Formula 2 exit, Esterson turned to sportscars, making his debut in the top class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship — driving a Porsche 963 for JDC-Miller MotorSports at Petit Le Mans — and went on to race in IMSA, associated with a McLaren-aligned LMDh programme. His path from esports to FIA single-seaters and prototypes makes him one of the more distinctive recent American open-wheel prospects.