Two "old hands" now joined by first newcomer as Italian racing team Prema Powerteam announce their first newbie for the upcoming ADAC Formula 4 season - Marcus Armstrong (16, New Zealand). The 16-year-old joins the 2016 championship-winning team as a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and will contest the Formula 4 series in both Italy and Germany. Armstrong will occupy the third cockpit at Prema alongside the Estonian, Juri Vips (16), and the American, Juan Manuel Correa (17), both of whom enjoyed a successful rookie season in the high-speed school of the ADAC.

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Armstrong will be contesting his first full season in single-seater racing during 2017. After considerable success in karting, he made the move to Formula Ford in 2016 and also gained some experience in Formula Renault and in the British Formula 3 series along the way. En route to securing fourth place in the Toyota Racing Series, he took three victories and eight podiums. He also proved his talent for touring car racing in the Toyota GT86 championship in New Zealand.

Looking ahead to the upcoming ADAC Formula 4 season, team principal Angelo Rosin is very impressed with the mixture of talented rookies from the Ferrari Driver Academy and experienced drivers who will be racing with Prema for another year. "Armstrong has shown great potential in his first appearances in Europe, and we are certain that he can be up there with the front-runners with our support," says Rosin, hoping that the 16-year-old will continue the tradition of talented young professionals from New Zealand, such as ex-Formel ADAC champion Richie Stanaway, for example.

Armstrong is also looking forward to the season which starts in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben on the weekend of 28th - 30th April: "Prema have a fantastic reputation, and I can hardly wait to learn and grow within the team. Being able to benefit from their vast knowledge and their enormous experience is just fantastic. We share the same ambition and are hungry for good results."