McLaren sign Ella Lloyd to Driver Development programme for 2025 F1 ACADEMY campaign

McLaren have announced that Ella Lloyd will be driving for them in F1 ACADEMY next season, with the 19-year-old also joining their Driver Development programme.

Lloyd already has one round of F1 ACADEMY experience under her belt as the Wild Card entry in Singapore, where she achieved back-to-back points-scoring finishes.

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The Welsh driver began racing in 2022, making an immediate impact by securing points in 15 of the Ginetta Junior Championship’s 25 races that season.

Last year, she earned the Vice Champion title in the Pro Class of the Ginetta GT Championship, achieving 10 victories and a further eight podiums.

In 2024, Lloyd has competed in the Formula Winter Series, where she took the Female Driver Trophy on multiple occasions. She brought home more success across her British F4 campaign, finishing 11th in the standings with four podium finishes to her name.

She will now get behind the wheel for McLaren operated by Rodin Motorsport and expressed her delight at representing the legendary British team.

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“I’m really excited to be joining the McLaren Driver Development programme as the team’s F1 ACADEMY driver in 2025,” said Lloyd. “It’s an honour to drive for a team that has such a great racing history, and also a long track record for developing talent.

“With McLaren, I now have everything I need to keep developing and pushing the boundaries as a female in motorsport. Thank you to Zak Brown, Stephanie Carlin and the entire McLaren team for their faith in me. I can’t wait to get racing in papaya.”

Stephanie Carlin, Director of F1 Business Operations at McLaren Racing, added: “I am pleased to welcome Ella to the McLaren Driver Development programme ahead of her debut as our F1 ACADEMY driver for the 2025 season.

“Ella has great talent and potential and has already cemented herself in the series, performing brilliantly as the Wild Card entry in Singapore, so we’re excited to see what she can do with us. We look forward to supporting her development.”

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Lloyd’s first appearance for McLaren will take place next month when she drives in Formula E’s first-ever women’s test in Valencia for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.