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Ferrari protege Armstrong to contest TRS in New Zealand for third time

Ferrari Formula 3 protege Marcus Armstrong will contest the Toyota Racing Series in his native New Zealand for a third time this year

Armstrong, who came within a lap of winning the 2018 TRS title, will once again line up with the Kiwi-Belgian M2 Competition squad, where one of his team-mates will be DTM refugee and Super Formula convert Lucas Auer.

The 18-year-old Armstrong is competing in TRS to prepare for the forthcoming FIA F3 Championship, which he will contest with Prema Powerteam.

He was a race winner last year in the F3 European Championship with Prema, leading the points during the summer before dropping to fifth in the final standings.

"I'm here to drive and I enjoy all the circuits here in New Zealand," said Armstrong of the 2019 TRS, which kicks off next week with the series' first visit to the recently opened Highlands Motorsport Park.

"I want to make good on last year's last-lap loss.

"I'm also here to stay fit and make the most of the great weather, because in Europe it's bloody freezing!"

Armstrong was lying second - good enough to win the title - in the 2018 TRS finale, the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild, when there was a safety-car restart going into the last lap.

But his engine lapsed into safe mode, dropping him to seventh in the race and third in the points, with Ferrari stablemate Robert Shwartzman winning the title and Richard Verschoor claiming runner-up spot.

"Robert and I spent the whole championship just taking points - both of us had the same strategy," Armstrong told Autosport.

"That last weekend I was sort of in a comfortable position and all I had to do was circulate.

"The NZ GP I led all the way, and then Verschoor lunged me with five laps to go, but all well and good - I just wanted to win the championship.

"Then some dude's engine went into safe mode, and he parked it at the side of the track - they restarted the race with the car still on the side of the track, literally on the white line, and then my engine went into safe mode too.

"I don't want to sound like a little brat, but that really sucks even though it was 11 months ago."

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