Ella Stevens

Ella Stevens is a British racing driver making waves as she transitions from karting dominance to single-seaters, joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme and preparing for her F1 Academy debut in 2026 with McLaren Oxagon operated by Rodin Motorsport.

EARLY YEARS

Born September 10, 2006, in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, Stevens grew up in the market town near Kingswood, surrounded by motorsport from day one. Her father and brother raced in Autograss, and the family passion was infectious. At six years old, her parents bought her a Bambino kart, and she was hooked—even if she admits she was “very slow to begin with.” By the end of that first day, though, she’d caught the bug that would define her life.

Stevens started competing in 2018 in the IAME Cadet class, running a full campaign in the Little Green Man (LGM) IAME Cadet National Championship alongside the British Championship. The Little Green Man series is known for being fiercely competitive, a proper proving ground for young talent, and she held her own.

OTHER INTERESTS

Information about Stevens’ interests outside racing isn’t widely documented, but at 13, she was already laser-focused on motorsport. In a 2020 interview, she said, “Ever since I can remember I’ve had a passion for motorsport,” a sentiment that seems to have left little room for distractions. Racing is the priority.

EARLY SUCCESS

Stevens quickly made a name for herself in the British karting scene. She became the British BirelART Cadet Champion and racked up two championship titles early in her career. By 2019, at just 12 years old, she was named Female British Cadet Karting Champion and became the youngest ambassador for Santander Universities, a partnership spearheaded by Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button to accelerate female engineering career prospects.

In 2020, at 13, she was selected as one of 20 drivers for the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, an extensive training camp focused on both on-track performance and off-track development for the most promising young female drivers aged 12 to 16. She participated again in the second season of the programme alongside Jessica Edgar, cementing her status as one to watch.

In 2022, Stevens was selected to compete as part of the Richard Mille Talent Academy, racing in selected WSK Series and CIK-FIA European Championship events in the OK-Junior class. That same year, she worked with Alpine Academy Mentor Alice Powell, who guided her—and fellow rising star Abbi Pulling—through the transition from karting to single-seaters.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2019: Female British Cadet Karting Champion; youngest Santander Universities ambassador at age 12[1][2].
• 2020: Selected for FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme[3].
• 2022: Competed in Richard Mille Talent Academy, racing in WSK Series and CIK-FIA European Championship (OK-Junior)[4].
• 2023: First female driver to win a Wera Tools British Kart Championships KZ2 Final at Kimbolton[5][6].
• 2024: British KZ2 Karting Championship, 3rd place with Jade Racing Team; Double English KZ2 Champion, winning back-to-back titles with dominant performances[7][8][9].
• 2025: British KZ2 Karting Championship Vice-Champion; British SuperKart F125 Open Champion, setting lap records at Donington and sweeping Silverstone with a hat-trick of victories[10][11][12][13].
• 2025: Topped the inaugural F1 Academy Rookie Test with a fastest time of 1:46.921[14][15].
• 2025: Joined McLaren Driver Development Programme in November[16].

INSPIRATIONS

Stevens credits her father and brother for sparking her passion, having watched them compete in Autograss racing as a child. Beyond family, she’s been mentored by Alice Powell, a trailblazer in women’s motorsport and Alpine Academy Mentor, who worked closely with her during the critical jump from karting to single-seaters. Stevens has also noted the growing number of girls entering karting, telling CNN, “Recently I have been seeing a lot of girls getting into karting. I’ve seen quite a few on the weekends.”

REPUTATION

In the UK karting scene, Stevens is known as a history-maker and a relentless competitor. She’s the only woman to win in the UK’s premier karting category, and she didn’t just win—she dominated. At Shenington SuperPrix, she led every lap, topped every session, set the fastest lap in every session, and placed first in every classification. When she retained her English KZ2 Championship title, she won by over six seconds. That’s not luck; that’s dominance.

Her transition to single-seaters has been equally impressive. Topping the F1 Academy Rookie Test against 17 other promising drivers sent a clear message: Stevens isn’t here to participate; she’s here to win. The paddock is paying attention, and McLaren clearly sees potential—backing two female drivers, Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens, in F1 Academy for 2026 signals genuine commitment to nurturing female talent.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Stevens will make her single-seater debut in 2026, competing in F1 Academy with McLaren Oxagon operated by Rodin Motorsport. It’s a significant step, and she’s made it clear she’s ready. After topping the Rookie Test, she said, “I want to use this test to go forward as a driver to hopefully prove what I can do and learn from everything to be ready for the future.” With McLaren’s backing and a proven track record of turning potential into performance, Stevens is positioned to become a serious contender in the all-female series—and beyond.

REFERENCES

[1] Jenson Button and Santander accelerate female engineering career prospects
[2] Jenson Button calls for female F1 champ – The Engineer’s Ring
[3] FIA Girls On Track-Rising Star: the future is now
[4] Profile – Ella Stevens
[5] British racer Ella Stevens makes karting history with first female KZ win at Kimbolton
[6] Ella Stevens Interview | KZ2 | Event 3, GYG | Wera Tools British Kart Championships
[7] Ella Stevens | Driver Database
[8] Ella Crowned KZ2 English Champion at Shenington SuperPrix
[9] Excellent Ella Wins Back-to-Back English KZ2 Championship Titles
[10] McLaren recruit Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens for 2026 F1 ACADEMY campaign
[11] Ella Wins 2025 British SuperKart F125 Championship with Dominant Donington Victory
[12] Ella Sweeps Silverstone F125 Open with a Hat-Trick of Victories
[13] Hakkinen legacy endures as McLaren welcomes new female talents
[14] Ella Stevens tops the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test
[15] Ella Stevens fastest in landmark F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test
[16] Ella Stevens – McLaren Racing
Ella Stevens | 2026 McLaren Oxagon F1 Academy Driver
Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Ella Stevens
Ella Stevens joins McLaren program, set to make F1 Academy debut in 2026
Ella Stevens (racing driver) – Wikipedia
Ella Stevens: “I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel”
Ella Stevens to race in F1 Academy with Rodin Motorsport in 2026