Overview
- Ella Häkkinen, 14, joins as McLaren’s youngest junior and will begin single-seater testing as part of a programme targeting a 2027 car-racing debut.
- Ella Stevens, 19, will make her single-seater race debut in F1 Academy in 2026 after finishing runner-up in British KZ2 and becoming the only woman to win in that class.
- Incumbent Ella Lloyd remains in the programme for a second F1 Academy season in 2026 and is currently third in the 2025 standings with one win and four additional podiums.
- McLaren’s two 2026 F1 Academy cars will be operated by Rodin Motorsport, with one entry running under the McLaren Oxagon banner in collaboration with partner NEOM.
- The expansion comes as all 10 F1 teams renew multi-year support for F1 Academy, with rules set to allow certain drivers a third season from 2027 to strengthen the talent pool.