#driver lore

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore Master List

What is driver lore? A collection of stats, pictures, trivia, a curated list of links to social media/YouTube and more. All you need to get started on getting to know the drivers of the 2023 Indycar field.

Josef Nicolai Newgarden

Scott Thomas McLaughlin

Conor James Daly

Alexander Michael Rossi

James Douglas Meredith Hinchcliffe

Felix Rosenqvist

Patricio "Pato" O'Ward Junco

David Joseph Malukas

Álex Palou Montalbo

Kyle MacLean Kirkwood

Colton Thomas Herta

Rinus VeeKay

Christian Lundgaard

Callum Benjamin Ilott

Marcus John Armstrong

William "Will" Steven Power

Scott Ronald Dixon

Simon Pagenaud

Hélio Castroneves

Marcus Thorbjörn Ericsson

Tony Kanaan

RC Enerson

Ed Carpenter

Stefan James Wilson

Ryan Christopher Hunter-Reay

Santino Michael Ferrucci

Katherine Anne Legge

Graham Robert Rahal

Takuma Sato

Marco Michael Andretti

Benjamin Pederson

Jack Joseph Murray Harvey

Agustín Hugo Canapino

Sting Ray Robb

Devlin Defrancesco

Romain David Jeremie Grosjean

George Dario Marino Franchitti

Indycar - Social Media

Indycar Drivers gym/trainer preferences

[endofbeginings]

Fangio was just an insane guy, he started competing in f1 in his forties, outdriving his fitter and younger rivals every single time. He broke his neck but came back to f1 a year later and won 4 consecutive titles. When he was at ferrari he would fight with enzo constantly bc he didnt want to follow his strategies. Then he left ferrari for maserati and enzo called him a whore for not being loyal to only one team. At one point he got kidnapped at the cuban gp and asked the kidnappers not to take stirling moss as well because he had just gotten married and he didnt want them to ruin the mood!! Then he said he was treated very well and became friends with one of his kidnappers LMAO

[liamlawsonlesbian]

too many carcar newcomers are acting as if this is one-sided beef — Carlos hating Oscar, the mildest driver on the grid — when what actually makes it so glorious is that, despite the fact that he is one of the mildest drivers on the grid, Oscar has despised Carlos fairly openly (see: “classic Carlos” comment, etc)

[vroom-vrooms]

Charles answering with “we have a good relationship” to a question about beating Max is like the direct opposite of Lewis answering with “I remember the first time i looked up the girls. When I met my girlfriend. I remember the first time having sex” to someone asking if he remembered meeting Nico

Lewis tries and fails to deflect in the most unconvincing way possible, Charles chooses to expose himself very clearly

Weird tactics but ok guys 🙄

[padmestrilogy]

george lucas has been unintentionally funny all his life but the number 1 the greatest bit he's ever done is almost die in a car crash as a teen, an accident so traumatic it made the NEWS, then make his magnum opus about how cool it would be if you could do that in space . and affirm throughout the rest of his career that he very much still loves cars

[bleue-flora]

Wait... Dream was born on August 12, 1999 and Dream was arrested in the Disc Finale on January 20, 2021 soo... wait, wait, wait, that means he was only 21 when he was imprisoned for life in a small lava covered box!... Did I do that math right? 21?! Man was barely able to drink legally in the United States and they gave him a life sentence in a boiling cell with nothing but lava, raw potatoes, a clock, and some books?!... oh my god...

[waterbendingwaves]

sebastian grandfather allegations confirmed

[vicsy]

Daniel Ricciardo and tennis – a masterpost (of sorts).

To start things off, here is a video of Daniel playing tennis that I think about way too often, especially lately, with the recent paddle mania that took over the paddock.

A few things I could note here, apart from the fact that Daniel himself said that if it wasn't racing, he'd go pro in tennis:

old school-ish (european) one handed backhand which is actually rather solid! Daniel said many times that he is a big fan of Federer (a true goat) and Daniel's technique here is pretty much imitating Roger's smooth and satisfying backhand strokes.

it is just a couple of hits but ball placement court wise in not bad - all past the half court mark, down the line, then cross court and close to the baseline.

his movement on the court itself comes off a bit wonky in comparison to regular players but I do like how he attacks the short ball (even if he swings a bit too wide but it still works).

Some assortment of interesting facts:

Apart from his love for Roger Federer, Daniel was a big Andre Agassi fan.

In 2021 Daniel and Lando stayed up to watch British teenage tennis player Emma Raducanu (who is an avid F1 fan and her fave driver is Daniel) win the US Open, her maiden grand slam tournament. This was right before the win in Monza and McLaren 1-2.

In 2020, Daniel took inspiration for his "Equality" face mask from the four time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka and called her a "strong voice" (which she rightfully was). Lewis Hamilton also considered Naomi a great inspiration in raising awareness of several social issues.

When Daniel was a kid, he would smash his racquet if he lost (that's so real of him and i do that too):

Ricciardo is widely regarded as motorsport’s nice guy. But when does the mongrel come out? "I’m a born competitor. As a kid I was a sore loser. If it was a tennis match, I’d smash a racquet or something," he said, laughing. (source)

Once Daniel was playing with his cousin and apparent he got a little outplayed, so in retaliation Daniel hit his cousin point blank with a tennis ball (which hurts A LOT). His cousin cried and then Daniel's dad gave him "a clip across the ear". Daniel also talks about it in one of the Grill the Grid videos. (big thanks to @go-daniel for finding the article and the video to back this story up!)

Daniel is childhood friends with Marcus Stoinis (an Aussie cricketer) and they grew up together playing tennis, driving to Dunsborough south of Perth and they would play tennis together for the whole day, practically hogging the court. (via this post)

Now, to the photos!

Carlos and Daniel playing a tennis match in 2013. Daniel won 6-3 2-6 7-6. It's from Daniel's old twitter post.

Daniel and Jannik Sinner in Piatti Tennis Center in 2020. Jannik is an Italian darling and current world number 3 on the steady rise to the top (i love my carrot boy so much).

Daniel on court.

Daniel attending semifinals of Wimbledon 2021.

Daniel with Juan Martín del Potro during Miami 2023 Grand Prix. Del Potro, now retired, was a prominent tennis player from Argentina, a "gentle giant" and he is also a fan of Fernando Alonso.

Daniel with Matteo Berrettini (and Francesco Carrozzini in the middle), Italian tennis player, current world number 142, during Met Gala 2023 (the way i yelled when this photo dropped omg).

It is all I have managed to gather for now but I will update if I stumble upon something new.

[genericpuff]

this is the new winner of "out-of-context modern LO panels i wish i could show my past self"

and no i'm not gonna explain it here either, if you know you know, if you don't then take this as your warning-

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Marcus John Armstrong

Birthdate: July 29, 2000 Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand Residence: London, UK/Indianapolis, indiana Height/Weight: 5’9”/130lbs

Rookie Year: 2023

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR)

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

2023: Chip Ganassi Racing #11 (road and street courses only)

The Side Pod (with Callum Ilott) on You Tube Screaming Meals (with Clement Novalak and James Harvey Blair) on You Tube Screaming Meals on Twitch Screaming Meals on Instagram

Past Racing

2017: Italian Formula 4 - 1st overall ADAC Formula 4 - 2nd overall Toyota Racing Series - 4th overall

2018: FIA Formula 3 European Championship - Prema Theodore Racing -5th Overall Toyota Racing Series - 3rd overall

2019: FIA Formula 3 - Prema Racing - 2nd Overall Toyota Racing Series - 2nd overall

2020: FIA Formula 2 - ART Grand Prix - 13th overall

2021: FIA Formula 2 - DAMS - 13th overall

2022: FIA Formula 2 - Hitech Grand Prix - 13th overall

His father owns Armstrong's, a major car dealership chain in NZ

Has two older half-brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother

Started karting in NZ at 10 years old, winning multiple national titles

Member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2017 - 2021

Finished second in the 2019 Formula 3 championship standings driving for Prema

Multiple race winner and podium sitter in Formula 2

Was Lundgaard's teammate in F2 in 2020

Pescatarian (and very vocal about it)

Drinks a lot of espresso

Has a video podcast called Screaming Meals co-hosted with his childhood friend James and F2 driver Clement Novalak, with an offshoot called The Sidepod that he hosts with Callum Ilott

Lived with Callum in Italy when they were both Ferrari Driver Academy members

Speaks Italian, but will only do so after a few drinks

Hobbies are going to the gym, listening to podcasts, going to restaurants, and watching American football

Used to be an avid cyclist, but gave it up due to it keeping his weight too low and causing problems with his ability to handle the car

Has a serious issue placing bets with his friends, to the extent that he had to pay to take fellow F2 driver Jehan Daruvala on vacation because he owed him so much money from lost bets

Scott Dixon was his childhood hero, and Kimi Räikkönen was his favorite F1 driver as a kid

Hates video games

Doesn’t like animals, but loves children

Iconic/memorable moments Indycar: Marcus Armstrong At IndyCar Spring Training New Indy Car Driver Marcus Armstrong about the Grand Prix of St Pete OVER THE WALL // ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH Marcus Armstrong Long Beach Preview Marcus Armstrong Post Qualifications Marcus Armstrong rocked up to Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see what 235mph looks like… Callum and Marcus chat during pre-season testing:

F2 and earlier: F2 Speed Date: Marcus Armstrong The Wet Head Challenge HOW TO BECOME A FERRARI DRIVER, A CONVERSATION WITH MARCUS ARMSTRONG F2 DRIVER | Sector 1 Marcus Armstrong Interview | Sky Speed Marcus Armstrong: All the way from New Zealand Keeping it cool at Prema “Michael Shakespeare”: Bullying from Callum and James: Marcus wins “best late lunge” award from F2: Marcus Armstrong Once Said…: Marcus absolutely annoying the shit out of Arthur Leclerc during a virtual GP: F2 Speed Date (2020): Marcus sings ���Rocket Man”: Marcus attempting to be sweet with Callum, who is absolutely not having it:

Doing fast laps around Goodwood in his dad’s car: 16-year-old Marcus talks about leaving home to move to Europe alone: Clem Novalak loves Marcus: He likes pineapple on pizza: Interesting content:

Marcus is a self-proclaimed "lover not a fighter". He's known to be very friendly and approachable, with a significant portion of the Formula 2 grid mentioning that he was the driver they got on with best in the paddock during his time there. His results in F2 were mixed, moving teams in 3 successive years, as he sometimes had difficulty getting to grips with the F2 car and tyres, however it’s generally agreed that his midfield championship positions during his F2 tenure aren’t an accurate reflection of his genuine ability and talent. Multiple Ganassi team members (including the boss) have commented on how impressed they are by his raw speed, work ethic, and attitude since his arrival in IndyCar. Marcus himself has already talked about how much more enjoyable the Indy car is to drive and how much fun he’s having now after several years of struggling with the notoriously difficult F2 car. He also appears to be getting on well with his CGR teammates and in particular has talked about how much he likes Marcus Ericsson.

He moved to London in early 2022 after spending several years living near Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello, Italy, and is known to enjoy city nightlife, being a big fan of wine. He’s a major foodie who likes taking photos of good food almost as much as he enjoys complaining about bad food. He is known to be determined to the point of stubbornness, causing himself permanent damage to his knee during a half-marathon due to refusing to stop when he was in pain. He had a low attendance record at school due to focusing on his racing career and moving to Europe at the age of 14, and as such, although he’s not unintelligent he’s known to be somewhat lacking in general knowledge (such as thinking Shakespeare’s first name was Michael). However, he has the characteristically Kiwi dry, sarcastic sense of humor and very much enjoys mutual teasing and banter with his close friends, something that’s often on display in the Screaming Meals podcasts.

Fanfic Lore

Usually paired with Callum Ilott, or F2 driver Clement Novalak due to their extremely close and physically affectionate friendship - was Clem’s teammate during their karting days, and has said that they talk every day while he’s in the US Likes to tease Callum and wind him up to his face, but often calls him his best mate and praises him when he’s not around. However Callum rarely (if ever) reciprocates the latter, probably due to his intense Britishness Good friends with multiple drivers from various series, including Juan Manuel Correa, Jüri Vips, Guanyu Zhou, Nick Cassidy, Max Fewtrell and Felipe Drugovich Also has a tendency to “adopt” younger drivers and refer to them as “little bro”, including Jak Crawford and Dino Beganovic Has said on several occasions that he doesn’t wear underwear, and also shaves his legs (and possibly elsewhere, having claimed that he is “hairless from the eyebrows down”) Claims he can’t tell the difference between someone being nice to him and someone flirting with him

credit for most of this post to @whitewindhowl and friends

[inchidentally]

[valyrfia]

thinking of the fact that both max and charles have gay allegations....

Let's not get ahead of ourselves anon I'm pretty sure at this point it's an FIA requirement that a driver must have gay allegations in order to drive in Formula 1.

[janesurlife]

So Carlos flew with Lando after Austria.... cool

[pia55tri]

imagining carlos literally typing out 'Congrats Oscar 👍' right in front of oscar himself

[skitskatdacat63]

Roleswap anyone??

Tell me Fernando wouldn't make a fantastic general/emperor, and that Napoleon wouldn't make a fanastic driver/tp!!

[f1-birb]

I love how A lot of ex McLaren Drivers nasilały adopted Lando and they love him. Lewis, Jenson, Fernando or Mika.

~ Nando adopted him from Daytona 24 onwards. With Daytona he was so impressed with little baby 18yo Lando during the race that he went on to borderline wax poetry, and then Lando was the test/reserve for McLaren and did his apprenticeship in 2018, so when he wasn't racing in F2 he was learning the ins and outs, doing all sorts of jobs from sweeping the garage to making tea, and he learnt a lot from Fernando (probably insane to him since it was Lewis and Nando in 2007 that got him into F1 and McLaren) ~ a little bonus:

EDIT: thanks to an anon for the additional info, these two go further back than I was aware of! Lando was doing his internship at with McLaren as well as doing some test driver duties in 2017. 2018 was when they were in a team for Daytona 24 together and he became McLaren's reserve driver. And even before that, he's known Fernando since he won the WKC in an FA Kart

~ Jenson seemed to love Lando basically from the start, this interview springs to mind in particular, they're both Somerset Boys, and then he seems to have grown more and more endeared. Jenson has usually vouched for Lando for things, and the feeling is clearly mutual too from how at ease Lando is during interviews with JB

~ Lewis was actually a bit of a surprise, but seemed (to me at least) mildly amused by the rookies and Lando, I'm distinctly reminded of Silverstone 2019 and the iconic press conference, but Lewis' fondness for Lando in particular seemed to come after Sochi and then grew from there, and there's been a lot of sweet moments since. There's a few instances over radio, Lewis checked on Lando when he was sick in Barcelona last year and sitting on the floor under an umbrella during the drivers parade, stealing Lando's bucket hat, a few drivers parades this year where we saw the two of them talk to each other for most if not the whole thing

~ I haven't seen too much with Mika and Lando, but I know he's been pretty complimentary about him, and also turned heads when he made the bold claim (at the time) that McLaren will be the ones to challenge Red Bull and then lo and behold Austria and then the upgrades since and here we are