McLaren Driver Development Programme

Last updated

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg McLaren Driver Development Programme
McLaren Young Driver Development Programme.png
Founded1998;26 years ago (1998) (as McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme)
Base Woking, Surrey, England
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
Formula 3
Flag of Ireland.svg Alex Dunne
Flag of Norway.svg Martinius Stenshorne
FRECA
Flag of the United States.svg Ugo Ugochukwu [1]
Flag of Italy.svg Brando Badoer
F1 Academy
Flag of the Philippines.svg Bianca Bustamante
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ella Lloyd (2025)
Karting
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Dries Van Langendonck

The McLaren Driver Development Programme, formerly known as the McLaren Young Driver Programme, is a driver development programme operated by McLaren. It is intended to offer year-by-year guidance, assistance and endorsement to help promising young racers climb the motorsport ladder. The program is managed by Stephanie Carlin, formerly of Carlin Motorsport. [2]

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 Drivers' Championship. The programme was also formerly known as the McLaren-Honda Young Driver Programme and the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme, reflecting engine deals with Honda and Mercedes, respectively.

As of 2024, nine programme drivers have graduated to Formula One, with four of those debuting directly with the McLaren F1 Team: Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Kevin Magnussen in 2014, Stoffel Vandoorne in 2016, and Lando Norris in 2019. Hamilton and Norris have won a Grand Prix race with the team.

History

The programme was founded in 1998 by McLaren and Mercedes as the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme. The programme notably signed Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld and Nicolas Minassian as some of its first drivers. From 2019 to 2021, no drivers were part of the program. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said this 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. [3] [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, who will represent McLaren in the 2024 F1 Academy season. [5] [6] In October 2024, the programme signed its second female driver in Ella Lloyd, who will represent McLaren in the 2025 F1 Academy season [7] in place of Bustamante, who will leave the series after completing her second season at the end of 2024. [8]

Drivers

Current

DriverSinceCurrent seriesTitles achieved as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of the United States.svg Ugo Ugochukwu [9] 2021– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship
GB3 Championship
Euro 4 Championship ( 2023 )
Flag of Mexico.svg Pato O'Ward [1] 2023– IndyCar Series
IMSA SportsCar Championship
none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa [a] [10] 2023– FIA World Endurance Championship FIA World Endurance Championship ( 2023 )
Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto [11] 2023–2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship FIA Formula 2 Championship ( 2024 )
Flag of the Philippines.svg Bianca Bustamante [5] 2023– Formula Winter Series
F1 Academy
Euro 4 Championship
Italian F4 Championship
none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Ireland.svg Alex Dunne [12] 2024– FIA Formula 3 Championship none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Norway.svg Martinius Stenshorne [12] 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
FIA Formula 3 Championship
none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Dries van Langendonck [13] 2024–Kartingnone as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of Italy.svg Brando Badoer [14] 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship
none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ella Lloyd [7] 2024– Formula Winter Series
F4 British Championship
F1 Academy
none as McLaren Driver Development Programme member

Former

DriverYearsSeries competedF1 team(s)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wesley Graves [15] [16] 1998Karting (1998)None
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian [15] 1998 International Formula 3000 Championship (1998)None
Flag of Germany.svg Norman Simon [15] 1998 German Formula Three Championship (1998)None
Flag of Brazil.svg Ricardo Zonta [15] 1998 FIA GT Championship ( 1998 ) BAR (1999–2000)
Jordan (2001)
Toyota (2004–2005)
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld [15] 1998–1999 International Formula 3000 Championship (1998 1999 ) Prost (2000)
Sauber (2001–2003; 2010)
Jordan (2004)
Williams (2005)
BMW Sauber (2006–2009)
Renault (2011)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton [17] 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 Brazil.svg Mário Haberfeld [18] 1999 International Formula 3000 Championship (1999)None
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Cheng Congfu [19] 2003–2006 British Formula Renault Championship (20032006)None
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Giedo van der Garde 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series (2006) 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 [20] 2010 Formula BMW Europe (2010)None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Turvey 2010–2011 GP2 Series (20102011)None
Flag of Denmark.svg Kevin Magnussen [17] 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 (20142015)
None
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nyck de Vries [21] 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 (20172018)
Williams (2022)
AlphaTauri (2023)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Blomqvist [22] 2012 FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2012)None
Flag of Singapore.svg Andrew Tang [23] 2012Karting (2012)None
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stoffel Vandoorne [17] 2013–2016 Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2013)
GP2 Series (2014 2015 )
McLaren (2016–2018)
Flag of Japan.svg Nobuharu Matsushita [24] 2015–2017 GP2 Series (20152016)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017)
None
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi 2016–2017 GP3 Series (20162017)None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris [25] 2017–2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship ( 2017 )
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2018)
McLaren (2019–)
Flag of Brazil.svg Sérgio Sette Câmara [26] 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019)None
Flag of Spain.svg Álex Palou [27] [28] 2023 IndyCar Series ( 2023 )None

See also

Notes

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

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