Whether it’s a youngster who has risen through the McLaren ranks, such as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, an untested rookie we’ve given a first chance to, such as Oscar Piastri, or a young talent who impressed with a smaller team, such as Mika Häkkinen, driver development is wedded in our DNA.

The list goes on and on, and across our history, it has largely been realised without an official academy of any form, but the newly launched Driver Development programme means there is now a firm structure in place to continue this successful trend and ensure succession planning across the board.

Led by former McLaren Formula 1 test driver, F1 driver and five-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro, who joined in March, the programme currently consists of Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, F1 Reserve Driver Ryo Hirakawa, 2023 Formula 3 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante, and American junior driver Ugo Ugochukwu. We’ve also signed a one-year option on Italian Formula 4 driver Brando Badoer.

What is the Driver Development programme?  

The programme’s official moniker is specific by design, as it will feature established racing drivers as well as emerging grassroots talent, meaning that it isn’t an academy, which would solely include junior drivers.

24-year-old Pato, for example, is an esteemed professional racing driver for Arrow McLaren, with five wins and 20 podiums in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to his name.

Whereas Ugo was picked up in 2021 when he was 13 years old, on the back of being crowned FIA European karting champion. He’s since stepped up to single-seaters, finishing third - the series’ highest-placed rookie - in British Formula 4 with two wins and 11 podiums. He dovetailed his British F4 campaign with races in ADAC F4 and Italian F4, where he also notched podiums, and now races full-time in Italian and European F4.

The programme was conceived with the idea of forming a talent pipeline for our Formula 1, IndyCar, and Formula E racing teams, working with drivers who could go on to fill race seats, or test and development roles, creating a long-term succession plan.  

“We’ve been talking about it since January, trying to imagine how it would work from a mentorship and preparation side,” Emanuele explains. “We already had two drivers in place, but my first concern was whether there were other drivers out there who we could recruit that are good enough and not under contract with another Formula 1 team.

“I am really happy with what has happened since. We’re now working on the exact structure so that it reflects the McLaren DNA and philosophy, which is as close to perfect as possible with the rights ethics.

“It’s about making these drivers stronger. We are developing their talents and not solely working with junior drivers. As a team, we are also developing Lando and Oscar. Personally, I have always been interested in technique, both from a driving perspective and the human side of a driver.”

There are many benefits that come from being a part of the programme, including access to the McLaren Technology Centre and our papaya-coloured kit, which promote a vital sense of belonging, but it is Emanuele’s knowledge, guidance and mentorship that provide the greatest advantage. As well as his vast racing experience, Emanuele previously held a similar role for Audi in DTM, is the President of the F1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Club, and has also held a variety of roles for the FIA.

Emanuele, the drivers and their management speak regularly, especially during their race weekends, when they’re in continuous contact. He watches all of their sessions and is there to offer support, advice and coaching. He’s also always available for drivers and their management outside of race weekends, when there is more time for discussions to be in-depth. Ultimately, he is there as often as they need him.

“During many years, I have collected a vast amount of experience and a great network of people,” he explains. “It is rewarding to see that drivers are excited to join McLaren DDP also because I am the director of it.

“I worked for McLaren as a test driver in the development team for four years. There are some very good people here within a very strong organisation. I am working with some incredibly skilled people. The competence is very high, and I think my mentality fits in quite well within this and with what the team are looking for.”

It is hoped that as the junior drivers grow, Emanuele will oversee their integration within the wider McLaren Racing team, helping them to become confident interacting with our people, whether this be Communications and Marketing or Travel. Simulator sessions will also be added to their preparation programme further down the line to continue their development, but only once it is felt they are ready.

In addition to their own racing schedule, drivers will attend one or two races with the team each season to provide them with an understanding and a feel for how a Formula 1 weekend works, while exposing them to the extremely high levels required to become an F1 driver.

As senior drivers in the programme, Pato and Ryo have already taken part in our MCL35M testing programme and driven our simulator. They've also attended F1 races with the team, with Pato lined up to drive the MCL60 in free practice 1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

How do we recruit drivers, and what are we looking for?

It isn’t solely about recruiting drivers with on-track potential, it’s about them possessing the right mentality and personality and whether or not they’ll fit into our culture.

No matter how good a driver is, if they’ve not got the right mindset, they’ll not suit McLaren. But at the same time, if Emanuele and the team believe their character can be moulded, they would happily take a chance on a driver who might be perceived as a little rough around the edges.

It's as much about helping drivers up the ladder as recruiting for our teams. Look after the former, and the latter will look after itself.

With that in mind, what exactly are we looking for, and how do we find it?

“It would be too easy and too simple to just look at the results,” he says. “You have to read between the lines, and you have to look at the personality.

“To be a champion, you don't only need to be a fast driver, there's a lot of other attributes that you need, which should be developed and worked on. The overall potential really needs to be considered.

“It is not just about who the driver is in this present moment, but what is their potential in the short, middle, and long-term based on various characteristics on and off track. This can also depend on their age and how much they can grow. It's a complicated business, and I try very hard to use all I know.”

Recently signed F3 champion Bortoleto was a rarity among Formula 3 drivers in that he wasn’t yet attached to an F1 academy or programme of any kind. In the season finale at Monza, the 18-year-old became the first FIA F3 Drivers’ Champion who wasn’t already an F1 junior driver.

There have been some notable exceptions over the years, but as a rule, the best drivers in the second and third tiers tend to be signed up by a team by the time they reach this point in their fledging careers. 

Spotting the Brazilian’s talent early in the season, from both an on-track and off-track perspective, allowed Pirro to make his move, start conversations and convince him that his future lay within the McLaren Racing family.

Recognising the talent is the trickiest part. But as Emanuele explains, starting the conversations doesn’t look like it will be a problem.

“My email got pretty full of requests quite soon after the announcement,” he says with a smile. “You have to look in all of the categories. When you look higher up the ladder, the better drivers are usually taken by other teams' academies or development programmes. But this is not always the case, and there can be some surprises, so you have to be across everything.”

During his recruitment, Emanuele will watch and study the drivers in action, but he’ll also speak to the people who know them best to get an idea of their personalities, from family members to mentors and team managers, to help him evaluate whether or not they would fit in at McLaren.

“It changes from person to person,” he says. “I speak to people whose opinion I trust. Everyone’s opinion on what ‘very good’ is differs, so it’s not an easy task to identify.

“I'm quite happy so far with where we are. The support I have gotten from McLaren, and from Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella] and Mark [Temple], I am really happy with. I have a strong team behind me, and I am truly, genuinely happy.”