In the McLaren Driver Development Programme, the pursuit of future champions extends far beyond raw speed. These remarkable young drivers reveal something even more compelling than their talent behind the wheel: their character. On the circuit they are relentless, chasing thousandths of a second with fierce determination. Away from it, they are voices for opportunity, resilience and belief. Within the futuristic walls of the McLaren Technology Centre, this new generation are not only preparing to win races, but to inspire the champions who will follow in their slipstream.
The McLaren Technology Centre in Woking is so surgically precise in its design, it feels like it belongs to a century we haven’t yet reached. The building is aerodynamic, its sweeping, crescent-shaped form curves around the lake like a ribbon of liquid mercury. Conceived by British architect Lord Norman Foster and McLaren, it was always destined to be extraordinary. Opened in 2004, it remains a monument to the future.
McLaren has conquered motorsport’s holy trinity. It remains the only constructor to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a feat that places it in a category of one.
Walk through these doors and you walk in the footsteps of giants: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris – the World Champion. Back-to-back Constructors’ titles have returned papaya to the very summit of Formula 1, there is much to celebrate but today is about the future.
McLaren has announced the full line-up of its Driver Development Programme, a dynamic constellation of talent spanning Formula 4 to F1 Academy. Led by Chief Business Affairs Officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the programme has a singular, uncompromising aim: to propel drivers toward Formula 1, IndyCar and McLaren’s forthcoming World Endurance Championship entry.
The 2026 roster reads like a manifesto of the future: Christian Costoya, Matteo De Palo, Leonardo Fornaroli, Ella Häkkinen, Ella Lloyd, Pato O’Ward, Ella Stevens, Dries Van Langendonck, Grégroire Saucy and Richard Verschoor.
Leonardo Fornaroli will serve as Reserve, Test and Development Driver, undertaking an intensive testing and simulator programme that supports the Formula 1 team during an unprecedented regulatory era. Grégroire Saucy will compete in ELMS with United Autosport and also test across McLaren’s portfolio. Richard Verschoor will compete in the European Le Mans Series with DUQUEINE Team in LMP2, combining endurance racing with testing across McLaren’s portfolio as the team prepares for its World Endurance Championship return.
Matteo De Palo steps up to FIA Formula 3 with Trident Motorsport after finishing Vice-Champion in the Formula Regional European Championship, a decisive move along the F1 ladder. Dries Van Langendonck progressed from Formula 4 testing into competitive campaigns in British Formula 4 and the Formula Winter Series. Christian Costoya rises from karting into Italian Formula 4, Euro 4 and the Formula 4 Middle East Championship.
In a sport historically dominated by men, McLaren is doubling down on its commitment to opening pathways into motorsport and STEM careers for women by expanding its Driver Development Programme and entering a second car into F1 Academy.
We met the trio of Ella’s at McLaren’s Technology Centre. 20-year-old Ella Lloyd already carries an iconic reputation within the paddock.
Lloyd said, “It’s brilliant to be continuing my F1 Academy journey with McLaren Racing and Rodin Motorsport. It’s great that we can build on what we’ve achieved this year so that we can go for the Championship in 2026.”
Her hunger is unmistakable. For Lloyd, development extends far beyond lap times. She said, “It is everything behind the scenes. To be able to prep and be on your best game. So I’m really grateful and honored to be able to be a part of the DDP.”
When asked about pressure, her response is clinical in its focus. Lloyd revealed, “My standard is very high, and I want to win, I think everyone feels nervous, you know, even if they’ve done 100 starts.”
She added, “I know I can do it. I’ve done it multiple times before. The more I overthink, it normally goes wrong, so I just tend not to.”
19-year-old Ella Stevens is Vice-Champion in the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship and the only woman ever to win in the UK’s premier karting class.
Speaking of the programme, Stevens said, “It’s particularly important for me as a woman in Motorsport. It’s really hard to break through those barriers, but with McLaren’s backing, for us to have their knowledge, and historically they have so many prestigious drivers that have done so well, it’s amazing to be part of that team.”
Stevens continued, “It’s a very male dominated sport, it’s amazing to finally see that women are given that opportunity, especially on such a high platform with F1. Many girls my age didn’t really have that many role models so it’s really important that there’s so many women coming into it and there’s so many more opportunities for the younger generation.”
Stevens encouraged, “Give it a go and find out if it’s your passion. Even if you don’t actually want to drive, it’s an amazing field to work in. Just get involved in all of it.”
When asked what a younger Ella Stevens would have said if told she would one day sign for McLaren, she laughed.
“I probably wouldn’t have believed it to be honest. McLaren has probably always been one of my favourite teams. My brother is a huge inspiration for me, and he really likes the colour orange. So all of my suits and my car back in the day was orange. I just feel like it’s meant to be. It feels very personal.”
And then there is 15-year-old Ella Häkkinen, articulate, astonishingly composed. The youngest in the programme, yet already carrying the legacy of a name etched into Formula 1 history. Her father is Mika Häkkinen, two-time World Drivers’ Champion with McLaren.
Häkkinen exclaimed, “It’s an exciting prospect to be working with the McLaren team and learning from everyone. I look forward to seeing my progress over the years to come, it’s going to be fun.”
Häkkinen said, “It’s important to improve everything from physical, mental, media. Everything. It takes the pressure off. I don’t have to do this all by myself. Then I can just have a moment to breathe, you know?”
The first time she went proper outdoor karting, she raced much more experienced drivers, but Häkkinen was faster. She revealed, “I was racing with people who already had one year of experience, and it was my first ever day. I was also pretty tall for many go-karts, so it was hard for me. I had a bit of a disadvantage, but I was really good in the rain.”
Häkkinen confessed that Karting taught her patience. She said, “A lot of patience. You need to be really patient with yourself, and also, with the team. It takes quite a while, but you will get it.”
Häkkinen continued, “Sometimes, you have to do it again from the beginning, and then go again and again. You need to really work on yourself physically because, as a woman, it’s a bit harder to step up into the bigger categories than for men.”
Häkkinen’s message to girls considering motorsport is resolute. She exclaimed, “It’s never too late to start because I started pretty late. I started around 11-years-old and normally the others start at around 7-years-old. If you are determined and passionate about the sport and you put all your hard work into it.”
After spending time with the drivers it is not just their speed that leaves an impression. They are ambitious without arrogance. Focused without fear. They understand sacrifice and are mature beyond their years. On the track, they are fierce competitors chasing milliseconds. Off it, they are articulate advocates for discipline and belief.
At McLaren, a new generation is being engineered. They are superheroes in race suits and the perfect role models for the superstars of tomorrow.
