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Had he written the script himself, you imagine it would have gone fairly similarly. Dries Van Langendonck’s single-seater career got off to a dream start in Donnington, as he made his debut in the British Formula 4 Championship, the young Belgian clinching Pole for Race 3 and a victory at the first round of asking.

It was a remarkable start from the prodigious McLaren Development Driver, who celebrated his first Pole on his 15th birthday - the minimum age required to compete in British F4. His time of 1m28.777s, which earned him Pole for Race 3, was an impressive 0.118s quicker than his nearest rival.

Dries made solid progress through the weekend, learning valuable lessons in Races 1 and 2, which prepared him to line up at the front of the field in Race 3. The race stuck to the metaphorical script: despite losing two places at the start of the race, Dries was able to remain within the tyre-tracks of the top two, Tommy Harfield and Martin Molnar – both British F4 race winners who were in the Championship fight. This put Dries in a position to capitalise when the duo collided on Lap 11 of 17, the debutant assuming the lead.

So, who is this exciting young racer, and what convinced our Driver Development programme to snap him up? We sat down with Dries at the McLaren Technology Centre and got to know him a little better.

Karting roots

Born and raised in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, not far from Circuit Zolder, host of the Belgian Grand Prix when John Watson won for McLaren in 1982, Dries began karting from the age of eight. His potential shone through from an early age as he became the NK Rookie Champion just a year later, in 2019, and the Mini 60 Dutch Champion in 2020. The trophies continued, pricking the ears of the McLaren Driver Development programme, and in 2023, he was crowned world karting champion in the OK Junior class, earning him a spot in the programme.

The team’s faith was repaid as he followed this up with another four title wins, including the European Karting Championship in the OK Junior Class and the WSK Super Masters Series.

“The World Championship and European Championship are the biggest karting championships you could possibly win,” he smiles. “Those were two special and enjoyable years of my career. I had an awesome time with the team, the relationships were really good, and the Championships were really special to win.”

Dries’ continued growth and on-track success convinced the team that he deserved a chance in a single-seater. A comprehensive programme was put in place to assess whether he was ready to take the next step and to support that transition.

 

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Often discussed is the difficulty of stepping up to F1 from Formula 2 or from Formula 4 to Formula 3, but the jump between a go-kart and a single-seater is massive.

The open-wheel Tatuus F4-T421 cars used in Formula 4 are fitted with a 1.4-litre turbocharged Abarth engine, producing around 185hp, with a top speed over 240km/h. They’re like nothing he’d have ever driven before.

“It's a bit claustrophobic,” he laughs, when asked about his first experience in the car. “With the belts on, it is super tight, compared to karting, where you are almost completely open.

“It is completely different, and the first time you’re in the car, it is a little weird, but once you are used to it, it feels like you’ve been doing it for years. Karting is not completely different to the world of formula cars, but all of the basics you learn, in terms of how the kart handles and drivers, are completely different to a car. There is a lot to learn the first time. The testing was good. It’s a difficult step, but I enjoyed it.”

Joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme

In his corner, Dries has the backing of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, led by Alessandro Alunni Bravi. This includes coaching from highly regarded driver trainer and the Head of Driver Development Programme, Warren Hughes, who leads the day-to-day delivery of the programme and watches and feeds back on all of Dries’ sessions and tests. 

It also provides him with access to an expert multidisciplinary team that can support Dries in his physical, mental, and technical preparation.

Warren attended both Dries’ Formula 4 tests and has been a significant factor in his smooth transition from karts to cars, ensuring he got the basics right and didn’t let any bad habits creep in. Most importantly, the team wanted to be certain that he was mentally and physically ready for the step up.

“Warren is extremely helpful,” Dries says. “He knows a lot and his advice is really appreciated. He and McLaren have been helping me a lot. I was sent a daily training routine, and I am following that, because exercise is a really important part of being a racing driver. You need to be in the best state possible for racing, and that is a big part of the support you get - I have definitely improved physically.

“There are also regular meetings to discuss how your season is going, and you are supported on the mental side of racing. They help in all areas, logistically too, and I am very grateful to McLaren for that.”

Developing his style

Having only recently stepped up to single-seaters, Dries’ natural driving style is still developing under the watchful eye of Warren and our testing, simulator, and engineering teams.

It’s impossible to say at this early stage what type of racer he will be, but raw elements in his driving suggest what his defining characteristics on track could become. He’s smooth and calculated, and even at this age, he has a good instinct for when to engage in a fight and when not to, and how aggressive he needs to be.

That tallies up with many of the drivers Dries idolised while growing up. The Belgian native says he has taken bits from many of F1’s more recently successful drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lando, both of whom share his Belgian heritage. He also namechecks Oscar, as well as F1 legends Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

“I would say that I am a really smooth driver. I like my car to be light at the front and bite quite a lot. For example, when I am entering the corner, I like the car to be quite aggressive, but I myself am smooth.

“I only become aggressive when I have to be – if there is a train behind you, you know you have to defend your position, sometimes this means you need to be aggressive, but I try to be smart as a driver.”

Two more rounds remain of the British Formula 4 season, with Dries’ entry being designated as a learning experience, rather than a competitive, results-driven one. If his debut is anything to go by, it could end up being both.