McLaren Racing today announced that Matteo De Palo has joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme, adding to its stable of young talent.

Matteo, 18 years old, started karting in 2016, progressing through junior karting series with success across 60 Mini, OK-Junior and OK, with top finishes in WSK Super Master Series and the FIA Karting Academy Trophy. The Italian, from Rome, made his single-seater debut in 2023 with Campos Racing in the Spanish F4 Championship. A successful season saw him secure a race win and three additional podiums, finishing fifth in the Championship overall. He also took part in rounds of the Italian F4 and British F4 Championships. In 2024, he stepped up into the Formula Regional European Championship, with one race win and one second-place finish.

This year, Matteo competed in FRECA with Trident Motorsport, winning four races and visiting the podium on another seven occasions, securing second place in the Championship. He will compete in papaya at the 2025 Macau Grand Prix, before racing in FIA Formula 3 for the 2026 season.

His involvement in the McLaren Driver Development Programme, led by Alessandro Alunni Bravi, sees him join the team’s talent pipeline, which has an overarching aim to help drivers progress towards Formula 1, INDYCAR, and the team’s upcoming World Endurance Championship entry.

The team also confirms that Ugo Ugochukwu, Martinius Stenshorne and Brando Badoer will not continue with the McLaren Driver Development Programme past the end of the year. With multiple wins and podiums across their time with the team, we thank them for their contribution to McLaren and wish them the best for the future.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Chief Business Affairs Officer, McLaren Racing, said:

“The McLaren Driver Development Programme is pleased to welcome Matteo. He is an exciting young talent who has made great progress over the past seasons, showing adaptability, consistency and growth. We look forward to supporting his development across driving, as well as the wider aspects of being a professional driver, within our programme pathway. We also thank Ugo, Martinius and Brando for their contribution to McLaren and wish them the best for the future.”

Matteo De Palo, Driver, McLaren Driver Development, said:

“Joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme is a great honour. The team have a fantastic track record for developing talent, so I am excited to grow across all elements of being a racing driver. Thank you to Zak, Alessandro and the entire McLaren team. I am excited to get out on track in papaya.”