McLaren add three drivers to Driver Development Programme

By Teagan Crump

The Woking-based team have announced that Formula Two champion Leonardo Fornaroli, multi-race winner in FIA Formula Two Richard Verschoor and FIA Karting European Champion, Christian Costoya have joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme.

📸: McLaren

Earlier in the year, McLaren announced that Ugo Ugochukwu, Alex Dunne, Martinius Stenshorne and Brando Badoer would be leaving their programme. And have now announced six new drivers, including two women. 

Fornaroli, who is Italian, has achieved immense success at just twenty years old. He is only the third driver to win back-to-back FIA F2 and FIA F3 titles. This year, the Italian has claimed four wins and a further five podiums. McLaren have announced that he will be taking on a test and development role at the team.

Following the announcement, Leonardo Fornaroli said:

“I’m incredibly proud to be joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme after another successful year on track. Winning both the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles has been an important step in my journey, and I’m motivated to take the next step in my development through the programme as I work toward my ultimate goal of racing at the highest level."

“I’m very grateful to McLaren for this opportunity, and to everyone who has supported me throughout my career so far. I can’t wait to get started and work closely with the rest of the team.”

Richard Verschoor has a wealth of single-seater experience, having won the Macau Grand Prix F3 event in 2019. He is third in the drivers standings in FIA F2, with one round (2 races) left.

He expressed his excitement having joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme:

“I’m delighted to be part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme. It’s a special moment, and I’m grateful for McLaren’s support in allowing me to continue my development within the programme. I’m excited to get going and work hard with the team in the coming months.”

The last new driver for McLaren’s Driver Development Programme is Spaniard Christian Costoya. The fifteen year-old driver has seen success in karting, having taken many trophies and championships. As a part of his McLaren development, Costoya will be making his single-seater debut in the 2026 F4 Middle East Championship in January.

Costoya responded to the announcement:

“I am very excited to join the McLaren Driver Development Programme and become part of their talent pipeline. It is great to get the team’s support and be in an environment that is known for developing great drivers. My thanks go to the McLaren team for this great opportunity.”

📸: Pinterest

Chief Business Affairs Officer, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, said:

“McLaren Racing are delighted to welcome two of Formula 2’s current leading drivers in this year’s Champion Leonardo Fornaroli and former Championship contender and fellow front-runner Richard Verschoor, as well as proven karting champion, Christian Costoya, to the McLaren Racing Driver Development Programme. All three talented drivers have shown great race craft with multiple wins this season, alongside a number of impressive performances in their respective championships. By welcoming Christian to the programme alongside long-standing member, Dries Van Langendonck, we now also have two of the most promising drivers coming out of karting.”

“It is a key priority that we continue to develop our talent pipeline to provide options for all of our expanding racing teams. We look forward to working closely with all our drivers in 2026 as they continue their individual development at various stages of their career with the support of the programme through a wide range of testing and progression opportunities across all of our racing series.”

The restructure of McLaren’s Driver Development Programme shows that the team are re-affirming their dedication to nurturing new, young talent. It also shows that they are helping to bring the next generation of drivers into the single-seater ladder.