ELLA HAKKINEN Lands McLaren Academy Spot as Ex-F1 Driver Says She’s F1-Ready

click to enlarge

GRRL! musings…

If you’re new to racing you can’t imagine how different this world is than the world Susie Wolff – the founder and director of the F1 Academy series – had to live in (read more on Susie’s story here). It’s a wonderful thing to see happening. We’re not there yet, but the young women flooding the sport are on it.

November 18, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

McLaren signed 14-year-old ELLA HAKKINEN to their Driver Development Programme, with the daughter of two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen set to begin single-seater testing ahead of a planned 2027 debut. Former F1 driver Mika Salo called her karting pace “incredibly fast” and said she’s proven she can “compete seriously against the boys” – finally, someone willing to state the obvious about what we’ve all been watching.
Salo didn’t mince words when asked about HAKKINEN’s F1 potential, responding “If the speed is good enough, why not? She can drive there just as well as the men.” He emphasized that academy support is now essential for any serious F1 aspirations, noting how impossible it’s become to advance without team backing for everything from financial support to mental coaching.
The McLaren deal represents more than just another academy signing – it’s a legitimate pathway for HAKKINEN to potentially become the first woman to race in F1 in decades. With Salo declaring “Now we are on the right track,” this move gives her the foundation and resources that previous generations of talented women drivers simply didn’t have access to in their pursuit of motorsport’s top tier.