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McLaren Driver Development Programme
Program to support young racing drivers through their careers

The McLaren Driver Development Programme is a talent nurturing initiative by McLaren, designed to guide promising young drivers through motorsport ranks. Previously known as the McLaren-Honda and McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Programmes, it reflects past partnerships with Honda and Mercedes. The programme’s most famous graduate is Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One Drivers' Champion who won the 2008 title with McLaren. As of 2025, nine drivers have progressed to Formula One, including Kevin Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Lando Norris, with Hamilton and Norris having achieved Grand Prix victories for McLaren.

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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.12

In April 2023, the Young Driver Programme was replaced by the Driver Development Programme.3 Later in October, the programme signed its first female driver in Bianca Bustamante, who represented McLaren in the 2024 season of F1 Academy.45 In October 2024, the programme signed its second female driver in Ella Lloyd, who will represent McLaren in the 2025 F1 Academy season6 in place of Bustamante, who left the series after completing her second season.78

Current drivers

DriverSinceCurrent seriesTitles as McLaren Driver Development Programme member
Ugo Ugochukwu92021–Formula Regional Middle East ChampionshipFIA Formula 3 ChampionshipEuro 4 Championship (2023)FIA FR World Cup (2024)
Pato O'Ward102023–IndyCar SeriesIMSA SportsCar ChampionshipNone
Brando Badoer11122024–Formula Regional Middle East ChampionshipFIA Formula 3 ChampionshipNone
Alex Dunne132024–FIA Formula 2 ChampionshipNone
Dries van Langendonck142024–Karting (OK)None
Martinius Stenshorne152024–FIA Formula 3 ChampionshipNone
Ella Lloyd162025–F1 AcademyF4 British ChampionshipNone

Graduates to Formula 1

This list contains the drivers that have graduated to Formula 1 with McLaren support. Therefore, drivers who have had support in the past and entered Formula 1 through other means, such as Nick Heidfeld and Gabriel Bortoleto, are not included.17

DriverAcademy experienceF1 experience with McLarenF1 experience with other teams
YearsFormer series
Lewis Hamilton1998–2006Karting (1998–2001)British Formula Renault Championship (2002–2003)Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005)GP2 Series (2006)2007–2012Mercedes (2013–2024)Ferrari (2025–)
Kevin Magnussen2010–2013German Formula Three Championship (2010)British Formula 3 International Series (2011)Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2012–2013)2014–2015Renault (2016)Haas (2017–2020; 2022–2024)
Stoffel Vandoorne2013–2016Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2013)GP2 Series (2014–2015)Super Formula (2016)2016–2018—
Lando Norris2017–2018FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2017)FIA Formula 2 Championship (2018)2019–—

Former drivers

DriverYearsSeries competedF1 team(s)
Wesley Graves18191998Karting (1998)None
Nicolas Minassian201998International Formula 3000 Championship (1998)None
Norman Simon211998German Formula Three Championship (1998)None
Ricardo Zonta221998FIA GT Championship (1998)BAR (1999–2000)Jordan (2001)Toyota (2004–2005)
Nick Heidfeld231998–1999International Formula 3000 Championship (1998–1999)Prost (2000)Sauber (2001–2003; 2010)Jordan (2004)Williams (2005)BMW Sauber (2006–2009)Renault (2011)
Mário Haberfeld241999International Formula 3000 Championship (1999)None
Cheng Congfu252003–2006British Formula Renault Championship (2003–2006)None
Giedo van der Garde2006Formula 3 Euro Series (2006)Caterham (2013)
Oliver Rowland2007–2010Karting (2007–2010)None
Alexander Albon2010Karting (2010)Toro Rosso (2019)Red Bull Racing (2019–2020)Williams (2022–)
Jack Harvey2010Formula BMW Europe (2010)None
Petri Suvanto262010Formula BMW Europe (2010)None
Oliver Turvey2010–2011GP2 Series (2010–2011)None
Ben Barnicoat2010–2015Karting (2010–2013)Formula Renault 2.0 NEC (2014)Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2014–2015)None
Nyck de Vries272010–2018Karting (2010–2011)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)
Tom Blomqvist282012FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2012)None
Andrew Tang292012-2014Karting (2012)

Toyota Racing Series (2013-2014)

Nobuharu Matsushita30312015–2017GP2 Series (2015–2016)FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017)None
Nirei Fukuzumi322016–2017GP3 Series (2016–2017)None
Sérgio Sette Câmara332019FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019)None
Álex Palou34352023IndyCar Series (2023)None
Ryō Hirakawa36372023–2024Super Formula (2023)FIA World Endurance Championship (2023–2024)None
Gabriel Bortoleto382023–2024FIA Formula 2 Championship (2024)Sauber (2025)
Bianca Bustamante392024F1 Academy (2024)Formula Winter Series (2024)F4 British Championship (2024)Italian F4 Championship (2024)Euro 4 Championship (2024)None
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

See also

Notes

References

  1. 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. https://f1i.com/news/394800-brown-lack-of-mclaren-young-drivers-due-to-different-philosophy.html ↩

  2. 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. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/154340/mclaren-sticking-to-targeted-young-driver-approach ↩

  3. "McLAREN ANNOUNCES NEW DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME". McLaren.com. McLaren. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2023/mclaren-announces-new-driver-development-programme-to-support-the-development-of-new-talent-into-top-level-motorsport/ ↩

  4. "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. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mclaren-sign-f1-academys-bianca-bustamante-as-first-female-member-of-driver.6w5XZDIEWlRBNiUPSn1sbF.html ↩

  5. "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. https://www.f1academy.com/Latest/1OnyO0KBfbAIWbs4ywG6ia/all-10-formula-1-teams-will-have-f1-academy-drivers-and-liveries ↩

  6. "Ella Lloyd to represent McLaren for the 2025 F1 Academy season". McLaren. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2024/ella-lloyd-to-represent-mclaren-for-the-2025-f1-academy-season/ ↩

  7. "Rules and Regulations". F1 Academy. Retrieved 15 October 2024. Additionally, all drivers may only compete in two seasons of the series. https://www.f1academy.com/About/5tFG4jMNrPG2LzxYgk5mxU/rules-and-regulations ↩

  8. Morales, Luisa (18 February 2025). "Bianca Bustamante confirms exit from McLaren ahead of GB3 Championship debut with Elite Motorsport". One Sports. Retrieved 18 February 2025. https://www.onesports.ph/more-sports/article/28923/bianca-bustamante-confirms-exit-from-mclaren-ahead-of-gb3-championship-debut-with-elite-motorsport ↩

  9. "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. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mclaren-sign-long-term-deal-with-13-year-old-american-karting-ace-ugo.4GPYYgngquIlvcaD8Qi1s3.html ↩

  10. "McLAREN ANNOUNCES NEW DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME". McLaren.com. McLaren. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2023/mclaren-announces-new-driver-development-programme-to-support-the-development-of-new-talent-into-top-level-motorsport/ ↩

  11. Badoer was signed to the programme as "optioned driver" in 2023 before earning full junior status in 2024.[10] ↩

  12. Wood, Ida (7 October 2024). "Badoer earns full McLaren junior status and Prema seat in F3". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2 January 2025. https://formulascout.com/badoer-earns-full-mclaren-junior-status-and-prema-seat-in-f3/124627 ↩

  13. "FIA FORMULA 3 DRIVERS ALEX DUNNE AND MARTINIUS STENSHORNE JOIN McLAREN DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME". McLaren. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2024/fia-formula-3-drivers-alex-dunne-and-martinius-stenshorne-join-mclaren-driver-development-programme/ ↩

  14. "2023 World Junior Karting Champion Dries Van Langendonck joins the McLaren Driver Development programme". www.mclaren.com. Retrieved 26 July 2024. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2024/2023-world-junior-karting-champion-dries-van-langendonck-joins-the-mclaren-driver-development-programme/ ↩

  15. "FIA FORMULA 3 DRIVERS ALEX DUNNE AND MARTINIUS STENSHORNE JOIN McLAREN DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME". McLaren. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2024/fia-formula-3-drivers-alex-dunne-and-martinius-stenshorne-join-mclaren-driver-development-programme/ ↩

  16. "Ella Lloyd to represent McLaren for the 2025 F1 Academy season". McLaren. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2024/ella-lloyd-to-represent-mclaren-for-the-2025-f1-academy-season/ ↩

  17. "Kick Sauber confirm rookie Bortoleto as second driver for 2025". 6 November 2024. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/breaking-kick-sauber-confirm-rookie-bortoleto-as-second-driver-for-2025.2EL5ciR1wh3baHcobZqGl9 ↩

  18. Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan20/support.html ↩

  19. "Mclaren Sign Kart Drivers". Crash. 9 April 1998. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. https://www.crash.net/f1/news/32572/1/mclaren-sign-kart-drivers ↩

  20. Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan20/support.html ↩

  21. Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan20/support.html ↩

  22. Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan20/support.html ↩

  23. Noble, Jonathan. "Futures on Fast Forward". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan20/support.html ↩

  24. Bradley, Charles (25 December 2018). "The F1 test driver who now saves wild jaguars". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 26 June 2024. https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/formula-one-test-driver-jaguar-mario-haberfeld/4313304/ ↩

  25. De Groote, Steven (6 August 2003). "McLaren signs Cheng Congfu". F1 Technical. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020. https://www.f1technical.net/news/105 ↩

  26. "McLaren tukee suomalaislupausta". sportti.com. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017. http://www.sportti.com/uutinen.asp?CAT=1-1&ID=169541 ↩

  27. 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. https://formulascout.com/nyck-de-vries-leaves-mclaren/50229 ↩

  28. "Stig's son joins McLaren". The Telegraph. 26 February 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/9103306/Stigs-son-joins-McLaren.html ↩

  29. de Cotta, Ian (10 February 2014). "Tang wins big in New Zealand". Today Online. http://www.todayonline.com/sports/motor-racing/tang-wins-big-new-zealand ↩

  30. "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. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/team/young-driver-programme/2017-mclaren-honda-young-driver-programme-members-revealed-3122258/ ↩

  31. Driver was simultaneously a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project. /wiki/Honda_Formula_Dream_Project ↩

  32. Driver was simultaneously a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project. /wiki/Honda_Formula_Dream_Project ↩

  33. 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. https://formulascout.com/sergio-sette-camara-leaves-mclaren-for-return-to-red-bull/60525 ↩

  34. 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. https://apnews.com/article/sports-auto-racing-indycar-alex-palou-indiana-99b05f32cafedca5e826892ff0045974 ↩

  35. Martin, Bruce (18 August 2023). "McLaren And Arrow McLaren File Lawsuit Against Alex Palou". Forbes. Retrieved 24 October 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucemartin/2023/08/18/mclaren-and-arrow-mclaren-file-lawsuit-against-alex-palou/ ↩

  36. 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. https://www.si.com/fannation/racing/f1briefings/news/f1-news-mclaren-takes-on-new-reserve-driver-sj4 ↩

  37. Hirakawa was simultaneously a member of the TGR Driver Challenge Program. /wiki/TGR_Driver_Challenge_Program ↩

  38. 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. https://formulascout.com/mclaren-signs-bortoleto-as-junior-makes-badoer-an-optioned-driver/111799 ↩

  39. "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. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mclaren-sign-f1-academys-bianca-bustamante-as-first-female-member-of-driver.6w5XZDIEWlRBNiUPSn1sbF.html ↩