McLaren announce Driver Development Programme expansion

By Teagan Crump

Today, McLaren have announced that they will be running two cars in F1 Academy 2026, with Ella Stevens joining the team’s Driver Development Program.

📸: F1 Academy

Ella Lloyd, who is currently third in the F1 Academy standings, will be continuing with Rodin Motorsport and McLaren in the female-exclusive motorsport series, and will be joined by Ella Stevens, who recently took the accolade of Vice-Champion at the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship. 

Stevens has previously tested F1 Academy machinery at the inaugural Rookie Test, where she topped timing sheets. McLaren have announced that Ella Stevens will be racing under the name F1 Academy McLaren Oxagon, and will also be operated by Rodin Motorsport. 

Ella Häkkinen will also join McLaren’s Development Driver Programme, following immense success in karting.

📸: F1 Academy

At just fourteen years old, Häkkinen became the youngest driver to join McLaren’s roster, and the team stated that she will be testing and preparing for single-seater racing in 2027.

Ella Häkkinen has previously been supported by F1 Academy Discover Your Drive at the Champions of the Future Academy, where she took pole and a podium in the OK-N Senior Category at the Slovakia Ring.

In response to the announcements, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown 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.”

He also added: 

“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.”