Ella Stevens and Ella Häkkinen join McLaren Driver Development Programme
McLaren have expanded their commitment to supporting the next generation of female motorsport talent by signing two more young drivers to their team.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Ayla Vaughan explores who these new drivers are and why this is so significant in their careers.
Details about the new drivers
McLaren Racing announced on Monday, November 17, that it is expanding its Driver Development Programme and entering a second car into the all-female F1 Academy series.
Current F1 Academy McLaren driver Ella Lloyd (who is currently third in the Drivers’ standings) will be joined by Ella Stevens and Ella Häkkinen to be a part of the iconic British team.
Stevens is from Gloucestershire, England and has performed well throughout her karting career, most recently becoming vice-champion in the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship.
This made her the only woman so far to win in the UK’s premier karting class, showing her raw speed and talent that make her ready to join single-seater racing next year.
The 19-year-old will join Lloyd on the F1 Academy grid for 2026 as a McLaren-backed driver, but both cars will actually be run and operated by Rodin Motorsport.
In addition, at 14 years of age, Häkkinen will be the youngest talent in the programme, and her racing career thus far has been quite impressive, following in the footsteps of her father, Mika Häkkinen.
The Flying Finn won the F1 world championship with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, and his daughter hopes to replicate and reach the top level of motorsport as well.
She claimed her first major international victory at the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy in Cremona, which was followed by further wins and podium finishes across Europe.
The Finnish driver will join the Driver Development Programme to test single-seaters in preparation for 2027, getting as much experience and support from the team as possible.
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The significance of the McLaren Driver Development Programme
The McLaren Driver Development Programme has helped young drivers develop and progress in their careers, with their biggest success being the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who won his first championship in 2008 with the British team.
Furthermore, Lando Norris, a member of the programme, has stayed loyal to the team and is currently leading the F1 Drivers’ Championship heading into Las Vegas on the weekend of November 21-23.
Pato O’Ward, the leading McLaren IndyCar driver, is also a member of this team and a great addition, as he has been near the top of the Drivers’ standings the past few years.
The many achievements of these three drivers were supported by the development programme, including expert advice from the team, physical training and simulator driving.
Therefore, the addition of more young female drivers will help them with the progression of their careers, improving their strengths and tailoring weaknesses to become the best they can.
Speaking to the media, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said:
“While I recognise that more remains to be done to increase female representation in motorsport, I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in this space.
“I hope this signals to all the amazingly talented female karters, drivers, engineers, mechanics, marketeers and accountants out there that our sport is open to all and deeply committed to keeping up the incredible momentum we have seen over the past few years.
“There are so many opportunities both at and away from track, and I want to thank NEOM for partnering with us in this space to help us open more pathways for women.
“To now have three talented young female drivers in our Driver Development Programme is really exciting, and I cannot wait to see them hit the track.”
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