Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
McLaren Driver Development Programme
Program to support young racing drivers through their careers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The McLaren Driver Development Programme, formerly known as the McLaren Young Driver Programme, is a driver development programme operated by McLaren. It is intended to offer year-by-year guidance, assistance and endorsement to help promising young racers climb the motorsport ladder. The programme was also formerly known as the McLaren-Honda Young Driver Programme and the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme, reflecting engine deals with Honda and Mercedes, respectively.
The programme's most notable participant is Lewis Hamilton, who joined whilst karting and eventually graduated to the McLaren F1 Team. He has won the Formula One Drivers' Championship seven times between 2008 and 2020, including the 2008 championship, which was won with McLaren. Hamilton is currently the only graduate from the programme who has won a World Drivers' Championship.
As of 2025, 10 former programme drivers have progressed to Formula One, with four graduating directly with McLaren: Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Kevin Magnussen in 2014, Stoffel Vandoorne in 2016, and Lando Norris in 2019. Hamilton and Norris have each won Grands Prix with the team.
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
The programme was founded in 1998 by McLaren and Mercedes as the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme. The programme notably signed Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld and Nicolas Minassian as some of its first drivers. From 2019 to 2021, no drivers were part of the program. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said this was due to the team's "very targeted" approach and already stable Formula One line-up, meaning it would be difficult for any young drivers to find a place in Formula One.[1][2]
In April 2023, the Young Driver Programme was replaced by the Driver Development Programme.[3] Later in October, the programme signed its first female driver in Bianca Bustamante, who represented McLaren in the 2024 season of F1 Academy.[4][5] In October 2024, the programme signed its second female driver in Ella Lloyd, who represented McLaren in the 2025 F1 Academy season[6] in place of Bustamante, who left the series and the programme after completing her second season.[7] In November 2025, the programme announced the signing of Ella Häkkinen, the programme's youngest signing at the age of 14 and the daughter of 1998 and 1999 World Drivers' Champion Mika Häkkinen. The programme also signed Ella Stevens, who will join Lloyd as McLaren's second F1 Academy supported driver for the 2026 season.[8]
Remove ads
Current drivers
Remove ads
Graduates to Formula 1
This list contains the drivers that have graduated to Formula 1 with McLaren support. Therefore, drivers who have had support in the past and entered Formula 1 through other means, such as Nick Heidfeld and Gabriel Bortoleto, are not included.[12]
Former drivers
- Championship titles highlighted in bold.
Remove ads
See also
Notes
- Driver was simultaneously a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project.
- Hirakawa was simultaneously a member of the TGR Driver Challenge Program.
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads