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Open-wheel racing

Formula One

See also: Formula One

In 1998, McLaren became the first Formula One team to establish a driver development program, founding the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme;² its initial cohort famously included 13-year-old kart racer Lewis Hamilton,³ who became the first driver development program alumnus in Formula One to win the World Drivers' Championship in 2008.⁴ The Red Bull Junior Team have graduated 15 members—and two former members—to Formula One, noted for their use of a second team to promote junior talent under the wing of Helmut Marko.⁵ As of 2024, Red Bull have coached two World Drivers' Champions, both winning their titles with Red Bull Racing: Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.⁶

IndyCar Series

See also: IndyCar Series

• Andretti Global – Lochie Hughes, Salvador de Alba, Dennis Hauger, James Roe Jr., Ricardo Escotto, Sebastian Murray (all Indy NXT), Oliver Wheldon (Skip Barber Formula Race Series), Sebastian Wheldon (Italian F4 Championship)
• Chip Ganassi Racing – Jonathan Browne, Niels Koolen (both Indy NXT), Jett Bowling, Nicolas Stati (both Formula Regional Oceania Championship)
• Ed Carpenter Racing – Josh Pierson (Indy NXT)
• Juncos Hollinger Racing – Miguel María García (Indy NXT)
• Team Penske – Myles Rowe (Indy NXT)

Super Formula

See also: Super Formula

• Honda Formula Dream Project
• TGR Driver Challenge Program

Stock car racing

NASCAR

See also: NASCAR

All of these teams have their own developmental driver programs and/or field cars/trucks on their team for developmental drivers.

• Hendrick Motorsports
  • Rajah Caruth
  • Corey Day¹³

• Joe Gibbs Racing¹⁴
  • William Sawalich
  • Brandon Jones
  • Taylor Gray
  • Max Reaves
  • Ryan Truex

• Trackhouse Racing
  • Connor Zilisch¹⁵

• Richard Childress Racing
  • Jesse Love
  • Austin Hill

• 23XI Racing¹⁶
  • Corey Heim

• Haas Factory Team (also part of Ford Performance)
  • Sheldon Creed
  • Sam Mayer

• JR Motorsports
  • Carson Kvapil
  • Sammy Smith
  • Connor Hall
  • Caden Kvapil
  • Wyatt Miller

• Kaulig Racing
  • Daniel Dye
  • Christian Eckes
  • Josh Williams

• Sam Hunt Racing
  • Dean Thompson

• TRICON Garage (also part of Toyota)¹⁷
  • Toni Breidinger
  • Corey Heim
  • Tanner Gray
  • Gio Ruggiero

• ThorSport Racing (also part of Ford Performance)
  • Jake Garcia
  • Cam Waters
  • Luke Baldwin
  • Grant Enfinger
  • Ben Rhodes

• Niece Motorsports
  • Matt Mills
  • Bayley Currey
  • Matt Gould
  • Kaden Honeycutt

• Toyota Gazoo Racing¹⁸
  • Lawless Alan
  • Isabella Robusto
  • Brent Crews
  • Thomas Annunziata
  • Treyten Lapcevich
  • Jade Avedisian
  • Gavan Boschele
  • George Phillips
  • Taylor Reimer

• Pinnacle Racing Group (also part of Chevrolet)
  • Brenden Queen
  • Austin Green
  • Connor Mosack

• Kyle Busch Motorsports
  • Brexton Busch

• Kevin Harvick Incorporated
  • Keelan Harvick

• Team Hornaday Development¹⁹
  • Landen Lewis
  • Dawson Sutton
  • Isaac Kitzmiller
  • Sylas Ripley
  • Hudson Bulger
  • Eli Black
  • Josh Dickens

Notes

See also

• Drive for Diversity
• Drivers Edge Development
• Porsche Junioren
• VMB Driver Development

References

1. British English: driver development programme /wiki/British_English_language ↩

2. Yi, Daniel; Vashee, Harshi (3 September 2021). "F1 Driver Development Programmes: McLaren Young Driver Programme". Divebomb. Retrieved 23 November 2024. https://www.dive-bomb.com/article/f1-driver-development-programmes-mclaren-young-driver-programme ↩

3. "McLaren and Mercedes delighted with Hamilton title win". Pitpass.com. 10 September 2006. Retrieved 23 November 2024. https://www.pitpass.com/29266/McLaren-and-Mercedes-delighted-with-Hamilton-title-win ↩

4. Foster, Ed (August 2012). "2008: Lewis Hamilton". Motor Sport. Retrieved 23 November 2024. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-2012/78/2008-lewis-hamilton/ ↩

5. Boxall-Legge, Jake; Cleeren, Filip (21 August 2024). "Exclusive: Inside RB's growth from second-string junior team to Red Bull's 'brother'". Autosport. Retrieved 23 November 2024. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/exclusive-inside-rbs-growth-from-second-string-junior-team-to-red-bulls-brother/10646050/ ↩

6. Kraaij, Tim (12 June 2023). "How Red Bull prepare young drivers like Verstappen and Vettel for F1". GPBlog. Retrieved 23 November 2024. https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/212346/marko-red-bull-junior-team-verstappen-and-vettel-f1.html ↩

7. Drivers who have graduated to Formula One as members of the program, as of 2024. Bold indicates a World Drivers' Champion. /wiki/Formula_One ↩

8. As an engine supplier. ↩

9. As an engine supplier. ↩

10. Also a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. /wiki/Red_Bull_Junior_Team ↩

11. Also a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project [ja]. /wiki/Honda_Formula_Dream_Project ↩

12. As an engine supplier. ↩

13. https://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/articles/138540/corey-day-signs-hendrick-motorsports-xfinity-truck-arca-races-2025 https://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/articles/138540/corey-day-signs-hendrick-motorsports-xfinity-truck-arca-races-2025 ↩

14. https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers ↩

15. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2024/01/11/trackhouse-racing-connor-zilisch-multiyear-agreement/ https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2024/01/11/trackhouse-racing-connor-zilisch-multiyear-agreement/ ↩

16. https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers ↩

17. https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers ↩

18. https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers https://www.toyota.com/racing/drivers ↩

19. https://www.teamhornadaydevelopment.com/our-development-drivers https://www.teamhornadaydevelopment.com/our-development-drivers ↩