McLaren Driver Development Programme
{{Short description|Program to support young racing drivers through their careers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{infobox motor racing team
|name = {{flagicon|GBR}} McLaren Driver Development Programme
|logo = File:McLaren Young Driver Development Programme.png
|founded = {{Start date and age|1998}}
|base = McLaren Technology Centre
{{nowrap|Woking, Surrey, England}}
|principal = Stephanie Carlin
|founders =
|current series =
|former series =
|drivers =
|current drivers = IndyCar
{{flagicon|MEX}} Pato O'Ward
Formula 2
{{flagicon|IRL}} Alex Dunne
Formula 3
{{flagicon|ITA}} Brando Badoer
{{flagicon|NOR}} Martinius Stenshorne
{{flagicon|USA}} Ugo Ugochukwu
F1 Academy
{{flagicon|GBR}} Ella Lloyd
Karting
{{flagicon|BEL}} Dries Van Langendonck
|website =
|driver titles =
|team titles =
|folded =
}}
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 most notable participant in the programme is Lewis Hamilton, who joined the programme while karting and eventually graduated to the McLaren F1 Team. He has won the Formula One Drivers' Championship seven times between 2008 and 2020, where the {{F1|2008}} championship was won with McLaren. Hamilton is currently the only graduate from the programme who has won a World Drivers' Championship.
As of 2025, nine programme drivers have graduated to Formula One, with four of those debuting directly with the McLaren F1 Team: Lewis Hamilton in {{F1|2007}}, Kevin Magnussen in {{F1|2014}}, Stoffel Vandoorne in {{F1|2016}}, and Lando Norris in {{F1|2019}}. Hamilton and Norris have won a Grand Prix with the team.
History
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.{{Cite web |last=van Osten |first=Phillip |date=24 December 2020 |title=Brown: Lack of McLaren young drivers due to 'different philosophy' |url=https://f1i.com/news/394800-brown-lack-of-mclaren-young-drivers-due-to-different-philosophy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224171300/https://f1i.com/news/394800-brown-lack-of-mclaren-young-drivers-due-to-different-philosophy.html |archive-date=24 December 2020 |access-date=14 January 2021 |website=F1i.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Luke |date=23 December 2020 |title=McLaren sticking to "targeted" approach for F1 young driver programme |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/154340/mclaren-sticking-to-targeted-young-driver-approach |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226173545/https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/154340/mclaren-sticking-to-targeted-young-driver-approach |archive-date=26 December 2020 |access-date=14 January 2021 |website=Autosport.com |language=en}}
In April 2023, the Young Driver Programme was replaced by the Driver Development Programme. Later in October, the programme signed its first female driver in Bianca Bustamante, who represented McLaren in the 2024 season of F1 Academy.{{Cite web |date=26 July 2023 |title=All 10 Formula 1 teams will have F1 Academy drivers and liveries for the 2024 season |url=https://www.f1academy.com/Latest/1OnyO0KBfbAIWbs4ywG6ia/all-10-formula-1-teams-will-have-f1-academy-drivers-and-liveries |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029211249/https://www.f1academy.com/Latest/1OnyO0KBfbAIWbs4ywG6ia/all-10-formula-1-teams-will-have-f1-academy-drivers-and-liveries |archive-date=2023-10-29 |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=F1® Academy |language=en}} In October 2024, the programme signed its second female driver in Ella Lloyd, who will represent McLaren in the 2025 F1 Academy season in place of Bustamante, who left the series after completing her second season.{{Cite web |title=Rules and Regulations |url=https://www.f1academy.com/About/5tFG4jMNrPG2LzxYgk5mxU/rules-and-regulations |access-date=15 October 2024 |website=F1 Academy |language= |quote=Additionally, all drivers may only compete in two seasons of the series.}}{{Cite web |last=Morales |first=Luisa |date=February 18, 2025 |title=Bianca Bustamante confirms exit from McLaren ahead of GB3 Championship debut with Elite Motorsport |url=https://www.onesports.ph/more-sports/article/28923/bianca-bustamante-confirms-exit-from-mclaren-ahead-of-gb3-championship-debut-with-elite-motorsport |access-date=February 18, 2025 |website=One Sports |language=en}}
Current drivers
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.{{Cite web|title=Kick Sauber confirm rookie Bortoleto as second driver for 2025|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/breaking-kick-sauber-confirm-rookie-bortoleto-as-second-driver-for-2025.2EL5ciR1wh3baHcobZqGl9 |date=6 November 2024 |language=en}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%;"
! rowspan="2" | Driver ! colspan="2" | Academy experience ! rowspan="2" | F1 experience with McLaren ! rowspan="2" | F1 experience with other teams |
| Years
! Former series |
|---|
| data-sort-value="HAM"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Lewis Hamilton
|align=center| 1998–2006 | Karting (1998–2001) |align=center| {{F1|2007}}–{{F1|2012}} |
| data-sort-value="MAG"| {{flagicon|DNK}} Kevin Magnussen
|align=center| 2010–2013 | German Formula Three Championship (2010) |align=center| {{F1|2014}}–{{F1|2015}} | Renault ({{F1|2016}}) |
| data-sort-value="VAN"| {{flagicon|BEL}} Stoffel Vandoorne
|align=center| 2013–2016 | Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2013) |align=center| {{F1|2016}}–{{F1|2018}} | {{N/A}} |
| data-sort-value="NOR"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Lando Norris
|align=center| 2017–2018 | FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2017) |align=center| {{F1|2019}}– | {{N/A}} |
Former drivers
- Championship titles highlighted in bold.
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{McLaren}}
{{Driver development programs}}