McLaren recruit Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens for 2026 F1 ACADEMY campaign

McLaren have announced that two drivers will be representing the team on the 2026 F1 ACADEMY grid, with Ella Lloyd being retained for her sophomore campaign alongside Ella Stevens, who joins their Driver Development Programme.

Lloyd has enjoyed a successful rookie season with five podiums, including one win, to her name and the Welsh racer sits third in the Standings heading into the season finale in Las Vegas.

Stevens recently became the Vice-Champion in the 2025 British KZ2 Karting Championship and is the only woman to win in the UK’s premier karting class. In September, she topped the timesheets in the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test.

McLaren's added commitment to the series will be delivered in collaboration with long-standing partner NEOM, the development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia. The second McLaren Racing entry piloted by 19-year-old Stevens will be known as F1 ACADEMY McLaren Oxagon, and both cars will be operated by Rodin Motorsport.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said: “While I recognise that more remains to be done to increase female representation in motorsport, I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in this space. I hope this signals to all the amazingly talented female karters, drivers, engineers, mechanics, marketeers and accountants out there that our sport is open to all and deeply committed to keeping up the incredible momentum we have seen over the past few years.

“There are so many opportunities both at and away from track and I want to thank NEOM for partnering with us in this space to help us open more pathways for women. To now have three talented young female drivers in our Driver Development Programme is really exciting, and I cannot wait to see them hit the track.”