Ella Stevens joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme in November 2025 ahead of making the step up to single seaters from karting.

Hailing from Kingswood, Gloucestershire, Ella excelled throughout her karting career, claiming a series of notable achievements on her climb up the ladder.

Ella arrives as a double English KZ2 Champion, British BirelART Cadet Champion and the 2025 British KZ2 Vice-Champion, and is the first woman to win in the UK’s premier karting class.

Managed by fellow British racer Alice Powell, the first woman to win a Formula Renault Championship, Ella is set to compete in the 2026 F1 Academy season with McLaren. In collaboration with NEOM, Ella’s McLaren Racing entry will be operated by Rodin and known as F1 ACADEMY McLaren Oxagon.

Ahead of stepping up to the series full-time, Ella topped the inaugural F1 Academy Rookie Test at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain in September, before being announced as a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme in the November.