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Ella Lloyd has the honour of being McLaren’s first race winner of any kind in Saudi Arabia, finishing first in F1 Academy’s reverse grid race, but the McLaren Development Driver has her sights set on even higher accolades.

Twenty-four hours before Oscar’s win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ella had clinched her first victory on an F1 Grand Prix weekend.

Just three races into her F1 Academy career and in only her second year of racing single-seaters, it’s quite a remarkable achievement - especially against the backdrop that she only started racing cars in 2022. Despite the magnitude of the achievement, Ella’s immediate focus after the Chequered Flag was on how she could improve.  

Ella started the reverse grid race from second but shot past her Rodin Motorsport teammate Emma Felbermayr at the start. She then smoothly navigated what could have been a tricky Safety Car restart to maintain first, holding off competition from current F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship leader Maya Weug to secure the lead.

It was an impressive and confident drive from the Welsh racer, who looked in control throughout, but her target is to start higher up the grid for Sunday’s Race 2, which pays out more points.

“It feels pretty good, but it’s not really where I wanted to win from,” Ella says. “I need to work on my Qualifying to get a win from a better Qualifying position.

“I think I kept my head quite cool in the race and just didn't look behind. That was a positive thing to take away – it’s probably the first time I've done that, so that was a positive to take into the next race.”

It’s an interesting insight into Ella’s mentality. The 19-year-old is more focused on delivering consistently strong results rather than one-off moments.

Ella’s successful background in other sports - in 2019, she won the 148 Bronze League area 35 Wales with her horse Elvira and achieved Gold at the Welsh Skiing Championship in Champery - means she isn’t easily intimidated. She’s competed at a high level in various settings and arenas, and so the occasion of racing on such a global stage didn’t faze her.

The race in Jeddah was just her fifth in F1 Academy, following a one-off appearance as the Wild Card entry in Singapore last season, where she finished ninth and seventh. On her debut as a full-time F1 Academy driver in Round 1 of the 2025 season, Ella enjoyed a solid start, finishing sixth in Race 1 and seventh in Race 2.

Asked what she had learnt from Round 1 and worked on between Shanghai and Jeddah, Ella said: “We learnt a lot. Shanghai was very tricky for us. The car was very different from last year, so we needed to adapt. We arrived in Jeddah after a race where we struggled, and we were on the pace straight away, so I think we're now in a better window and can keep pushing.

“I want to improve my consistency. From the first race, I needed to slow my hands down a little bit and be smoother and more consistent, and I think I've done that.”

Ella has the backing of the McLaren Driver Development programme for 2025, led by Alessandro Alunni Bravi. This has given her access to our specialist Driver Development programme team, who will help to hone her skills on and off track. She also got the opportunity to drive our Formula E car in the all-electric series’ Women’s Test last season.

“Racing in Shanghai for the first time in the McLaren colours was pretty amazing,” she says. “I didn't think that I would get the opportunity so early on in my career, but I have, and I'm really grateful.

“The programme has helped a lot. Having the opportunity to drive the Formula E car as well has helped my development, in terms of learning to drive different cars. It is amazing to be a part of the McLaren family.

“The team won the Constructors’ last year and have had a pretty good start to the season so far, which is amazing to be a part of. I’ve now had my first win, so hopefully, as a team, we can keep pushing for more, in F1 Academy and in F1.”

Getting track time in different cars is a key area of focus for Ella. It’s set to be a busy season for the 19-year-old, who is also competing in British F4 for Rodin Motorsport. It’s a series she knows well, having driven for JHR Developments in 2024, but switching between the two Championships will provide a new test.

“It has really helped me, being out in a car a lot more,” Ella says. “The cars are different, so I have to adapt between both, which I think will progress my development, having to adapt constantly between the two and drive differently.

“I think that’s quite crucial at this level. So many drivers are doing so many days in a car, and you have to do the same. The dual programme will help me develop and switch from car to car and adapt to what's underneath me.”

Ella will be back in action for Rodin Motorsport in Miami this weekend for Round 3 of the F1 Academy season.