McLaren Driver Development Programme

Last updated

McLaren Driver Development Programme
Founded1998 (1998)
Base Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Team principal(s) Emanuele Pirro [1]
Current driversWEC
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa
IndyCar
Flag of Mexico.svg Pato O'Ward [1]
Formula 2
Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto
FRECA
Flag of the United States.svg Ugo Ugochukwu [1]
F1 Academy
Flag of the Philippines.svg Bianca Bustamante

The McLaren Driver Development Programme (formerly known as the McLaren Young Driver Programme, the McLaren-Honda Young Driver Programme, and the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme) is a driver development program operated by McLaren. It is intended to offer year-by-year guidance, assistance and endorsement to help promising young racers climb the motorsport ladder.

Contents

The most notable participant in the programme is Lewis Hamilton, who joined the programme while karting and eventually graduated to the McLaren F1 Team. He has won the Formula One Drivers' Championship seven times between 2008 and 2020, where the 2008 championship was won with McLaren. Hamilton is currently the only graduate from the programme who has won a World Championship as a McLaren driver.

Four drivers have graduated from the programme to the McLaren F1 Team: Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Kevin Magnussen in 2014, Stoffel Vandoorne in 2016, and Lando Norris in 2019.

History

The programme was founded in 1998 by McLaren and Mercedes as the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme. The programme signed Wesley Graves and Lewis Hamilton as one of its first drivers.

From 2019 to 2021, no drivers were part of the program, which McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said was due to the team's "very targeted" approach and already stable Formula One line-up, meaning it would be difficult for any young drivers to find a place in Formula One. [2] [3] In March 2021, American karting driver Ugo Ugochukwu was recruited into the programme. [4]

In April 2023, the Young Driver Programme was replaced by the Driver Development Programme. [1] Later in October, the programme signed its first female driver in Bianca Bustamante. Bustamante will represent McLaren in the 2024 F1 Academy season. [5] [6]

Drivers

Current

DriverSinceCurrent seriesTitles achieved as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of the United States.svg Ugo Ugochukwu [4] 2021– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship 		Euro 4 Championship ( 2023 )
Flag of Mexico.svg Pato O'Ward [1] 2023– IndyCar Series none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa [7] [lower-alpha 1] 2023– FIA World Endurance Championship FIA World Endurance Championship ( 2023 )
Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto [8] 2023– FIA Formula 2 Championship none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of the Philippines.svg Bianca Bustamante [5] 2023– Formula Winter Series
F1 Academy 		none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member

Former

DriverYearsSeries competedF1 team(s)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wesley Graves [9] [10] 1998Karting (1998)None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton [11] 1998–2006Karting (1998–2001)
British Formula Renault Championship (2002– 2003 )
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004– 2005 )
GP2 Series ( 2006 )		 McLaren (2007–2012)
Mercedes (2013–2024)
Ferrari (2025–)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Cheng Congfu [12] 2003–2006 British Formula Renault Championship (2003–2006)None
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Giedo van der Garde 2006–2010 Formula 3 Euro Series (2006)
Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2007– 2008 )
GP2 Series (2009–2010)		 Caterham (2013)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Rowland 2007–2010Karting (2007–2010)None
Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon 2010Karting (2010) Toro Rosso (2019)
Red Bull Racing (2019–2020)
Williams (2022–)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Harvey 2010 Formula BMW Europe (2010)None
Flag of Finland.svg Petri Suvanto [13] 2010 Formula BMW Europe (2010)None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Turvey 2010–2011 GP2 Series (2010–2011)None
Flag of Denmark.svg Kevin Magnussen [11] 2010–2013 German Formula Three Championship (2010)
British Formula 3 International Series (2011)
Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2012– 2013 )		 McLaren (2014–2015)
Renault (2016)
Haas (2017–2020; 2022–2024)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ben Barnicoat 2010–2015Karting (2010–2013)
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC (2014)
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2014–2015)		None
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nyck de Vries [14] 2010–2018 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2012– 2014 )
Formula Renault 2.0 Alps (2013– 2014 )
Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2015)
GP3 Series (2016)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017–2018)		 Williams (2022)
AlphaTauri (2023)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Blomqvist [15] 2012 FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2012)None
Flag of Singapore.svg Andrew Tang [16] 2012Karting (2012)None
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stoffel Vandoorne [11] 2013–2016 Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2013)
GP2 Series (2014– 2015 )		 McLaren (2016–2018)
Flag of Japan.svg Nobuharu Matsushita [17] 2015–2017 GP2 Series (2015–2016)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017)		None
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi 2016–2017 GP3 Series (2016–2017)None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris [18] 2017–2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship ( 2017 )
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2018)		 McLaren (2019–)
Flag of Brazil.svg Sérgio Sette Câmara [19] 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019)None
Flag of Spain.svg Álex Palou [20] [21] 2023 IndyCar Series (2023)None

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Driver is also a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "McLAREN ANNOUNCES NEW DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME". McLaren.com. McLaren.
  2. ↑ van Osten, Phillip (24 December 2020). "Brown: Lack of McLaren young drivers due to 'different philosophy'". F1i.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Smith, Luke (23 December 2020). "McLaren sticking to "targeted" approach for F1 young driver programme". Autosport.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 "McLaren sign long-term deal with 13-year-old American karting ace Ugo Ugochukwu". www.formula1.com. 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 "McLaren sign F1 Academy's Bianca Bustamante as first female member of Driver Development Programme". Formula 1®. 18 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "All 10 Formula 1 teams will have F1 Academy drivers and liveries for the 2024 season". F1® Academy. 26 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Jogia, Saajan (22 September 2023). "F1 News: McLaren Takes on New Reserve Driver". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Wood, Ida (5 October 2023). "McLaren signs Bortoleto as junior, makes Badoer an 'optioned driver'". Formula Scout. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  10. ↑ "Mclaren Sign Kart Drivers". Crash. 9 April 1998. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 "FAITH IN YOUTH: McLaren's young driver track record". Formula1.com. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  12. ↑ De Groote, Steven (6 August 2003). "McLaren signs Cheng Congfu". F1 Technical. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "McLaren tukee suomalaislupausta". sportti.com. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  14. ↑ Wood, Elliot (6 May 2019). "Nyck de Vries' split with McLaren confirmed". Formula Scout. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Stig's son joins McLaren". The Telegraph. 26 February 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  16. ↑ de Cotta, Ian (10 February 2014). "Tang wins big in New Zealand". Today Online.
  17. ↑ "2017 McLaren-Honda Young Driver Programme members revealed". McLaren Racing. 22 February 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Lando Norris joins McLaren F1 young driver programme". GP Today. 2017. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  19. ↑ Wood, Elliot (9 March 2020). "Sergio Sette Camara leaves McLaren for return to Red Bull". Formula Scout. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Fryer, Jenna (28 July 2022). "IndyCar champ Palou declares he will be at McLaren in 2023". AP News . Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Martin, Bruce (18 August 2023). "McLaren And Arrow McLaren File Lawsuit Against Alex Palou". Forbes . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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