McLaren Announces Major Expansion of Driver Development Programme with Three Female Talents

Females in Motorsport was invited to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking as the 2025 Formula 1 constructors’ champions unveiled major updates to their Driver Development Programme for 2026.

In a panel featuring the three drivers in question, McLaren Racing Chief Marketing Officer and the 11th woman to ever stand on the F1 podium, Louise McEwen, revealed that McLaren is expanding its commitment to developing female talent, becoming the only F1 team set to run two cars in F1 Academy next year.

Ella Lloyd has re-signed as the team’s F1 Academy driver for the 2026 season and will continue with the McLaren Driver Development Programme. Joining her on the grid will be star karter Ella Stevens, who will transition to single-seaters for the first time in McLaren’s newly created second seat, made possible through the continued support of their partner NEOM.

Additionally, rising star Ella Häkkinen will join McLaren’s Driver Development Programme to continue her karting progression, with an aim to step into single-seaters for the first time in 2026.

“It is not a prerequisite that your name has to be Ella,” McEwen joked. “It just so happens that this incredible line-up of talent shares the same name.”

McLaren’s Driver Development Programme has proven to be one of the most successful in F1. As McEwen said, “McLaren is no stranger to nurturing young talent in F1. Lewis Hamilton cut his teeth with us as a young driver, and look at where he is today. Lando Norris came up through our driver development program. Gabriel Bortoleto also came through our pathways to make it to F1.”

The programme offers engineering and coaching support, mentorship, media preparation, and long-term opportunities across F1, IndyCar, and, from 2027, the FIA World Endurance Championship pathways. All these things will make a massive difference as these three drivers strive to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.

With that in mind, the Woking-based team’s second F1 Academy entry is a “perfect extension” of McLaren’s four-year partnership with NEOM, who has been passionate about nurturing talent and helping underrepresented groups with their graduate schemes.

Photo Credit: McLaren Racing

Ella Lloyd returns to chase the championship

Lloyd has had an incredible first season on the main stage of F1 Academy. She currently sits third in the championship with one race weekend to go, having already achieved five podiums and one victory. She has hit the ground running and doesn't intend to slow down anytime soon. 

"It feels amazing to be continuing my dream with McLaren. We have had an incredible season together, and we are hoping to seal that third place in Vegas," she said.

There were many highlights in 2025, but it was clear that Lloyd was most proud of her grit and determination. 

“Most would say the win in Jeddah was the biggest moment, but Canada stood out for me,” she said. “I didn’t start at the front in any of the races and had to fight my way there.”

On what makes her proud to be a woman on track, Lloyd shared: “Just being able to inspire females… seeing us racing in F1 Academy shows that there is a place for them in F1.”

Ella Stevens jumps from karts to F1 Academy

For Stevens, joining McLaren marks a massive career milestone as 2026 will be her first year in single-seaters. 

“I am really excited about joining the team next year,” she said. “I’ve just been in karts my whole life, so it’s a big step up.”

She was first interested in karting at the age of six, having grown up watching her older brother race. 

“We share the same number, 28,” she explained, stating that he will always be her biggest inspiration for pursuing her dreams.

The added excitement around Stevens' announcement is because she will be joining Lloyd on the F1 Academy grid, making McLaren the only F1 team to have two cars racing in the all-female series, a landmark move we can hope that other teams will follow.

“I am really proud to be a woman and to be able to inspire young women… to prove that anyone can do it,” Stevens concluded.

Photo Credit: McLaren Racing

Ella Häkkinen becomes the youngest in the programme

The name Häkkinen is no stranger to McLaren; now the second generation is ready to shine. In 2026, Ella will become the youngest member of the Driver Development Programme.

“I am very excited for it,” she said. Reflecting on her recent form, she added, “We’ve made incredible progress this year. We got pole in Slovakia two weeks ago, P2 in the final race, and some strong results in the Europeans.”

For Häkkinen, the responsibility of representation is a driving force.

 “To be able to inspire girls that anyone can get into motorsport, and to be a role model for them, is amazing,” she said. 

A powerful step forward

As this unforgettable morning at the McLaren Technology Centre wrapped up, one message really stuck with me. For McLaren, this is more than just championship fights and expanding their driver programme. It is about building an environment where talent from every background can thrive, and the passion from staff, from drivers and everyone listening, was genuine.

Louise explained, “McLaren Racing is very committed to our diversity and inclusion agenda and has been for a while now. Diverse teams are higher-performing teams, and we work in a sport where the margins for gains are tiny, so diversity is so important to push to the front in whatever series we’re racing in.

“We have set ourselves bold targets. By 2030, we aim to have 40% of our workforce come from underrepresented backgrounds. We are pleased to say we are on track and in 2024, 43% of new starters came from underrepresented backgrounds and, in terms of our whole staff, 33% are made up of underrepresented backgrounds.”

To hear those words inside McLaren’s headquarters with three young women at the heart of the announcement, the passion was real. This is not just a box-checking exercise but a clear statement that McLaren sees these drivers as a crucial part of their future. Women, whether they are behind the wheel, in the engineering bay, in the communications department or part of the catering team, will drive McLaren forward.

With three young talents racing in Papaya, this announcement marks a massive milestone for F1 Academy and McLaren’s Driver Development Programme, setting them up for an exciting 2026. A big congratulations to Ella Lloyd, Ella Stevens, and Ella Häkkinen. And if the atmosphere in Woking is anything to go by, this is only the beginning.