HAKKINEN, STEVENS & LLOYD Lead McLaren’s Bold Three-Woman Development Push

November 18, 2025

• McLaren’s youngest-ever development program member is bringing serious karting credentials – a major international victory at the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy event in Cremona. HAKKINEN also carries the weight of family legacy, with her father’s 1998 and 1999 F1 titles earned in McLaren colors, making this homecoming feel particularly meaningful as she prepares for single-seater tests ahead of a 2027 F1 Academy debut.
• ELLA STEVENS is joining with the kind of resume that demands attention – she’s the only woman to win in the UK’s premier karting class and just finished vice-champion in the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship. The 19-year-old also topped the timesheets at the inaugural F1 Academy rookie test in September, proving she’s ready to translate that karting dominance into single-seater success under the McLaren Oxagon banner.
• Current F1 Academy standout ELLA LLOYD is staying put for a second McLaren season, sitting third in 2025 standings with one win and four podiums heading into the Las Vegas finale. The Welsh driver’s retention signals McLaren’s commitment to building on established talent rather than just chasing fresh faces, with Lloyd expressing clear championship ambitions for 2026 after this year’s strong foundation.

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