McLaren Racing has turned the spotlight on 14-year-old prodigy and International School of Monaco student Ella Häkkinen, announcing her as the newest and youngest addition to its expanding Driver Development Programme as the team steps up its investment in female talent across global motorsport.
Häkkinen, already one of the most promising young drivers in European karting, joins McLaren at a pivotal moment. Her rapid climb through the ranks was cemented by a breakout year in 2024, when she delivered a landmark victory at the Champions of the Future Academy event in Cremona and backed it up with a string of podium finishes across the continent. McLaren says she will begin testing single-seaters ahead of a planned move into formula racing in 2027.
The announcement comes as McLaren doubles its presence in the all-female F1 Academy series, confirming a second car for 2026. The expanded line-up will see Ella Lloyd continue with the team, joined by 19-year-old Ella Stevens, while Häkkinen develops through the programme in preparation for her own future entry.
This trio of Ellas—Lloyd, Stevens and Häkkinen—forms the strongest female pipeline McLaren has ever assembled. Stevens arrives with an impressive résumé of her own, becoming Vice-Champion in the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship and the only woman to win in the UK’s top karting category.
Both F1 Academy entries will be run by Rodin Motorsport, with McLaren’s new team competing under the banner F1 Academy McLaren Oxagon, reflecting the outfit’s long-standing partnership with NEOM in Saudi Arabia.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the expanded programme underlines the team’s determination to break down barriers in motorsport: “More work is needed to improve representation, but I’m extremely proud of the progress we’ve made. With three exceptional young women now in our development pathway, the message is clear: the sport is open to all, and the momentum is only growing.”
Founded in 1963, McLaren continues to build programmes across Formula 1, IndyCar, F1 Academy and esports, while maintaining commitments to sustainability, diversity and net-zero goals.
