Few drivers make it to Formula 1, but their odds of doing so skyrocket by being affiliated with an F1 team’s junior driver programme. This series explores the performances of driver academy members in 2024. Today’s spotlight: the McLaren Driver Development Programme.

By Laura Anequini

In 2024, the McLaren Driver Development Programme expanded significantly, increasing its membership from five drivers in 2023 to 10 this year. With the exception of Pato O’Ward and Ryō Hirakawa, all drivers in the program are currently competing in junior series or karting.

Though there were strong performances from many of the drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Ugo Ugochukwu were the standouts of the programme, with Bortoleto winning the F2 title and Ugochukwu winning the Macau Grand Prix. 

Check out the e-book below to read all eight of the 2024 F1 driver academy reviews!

Gabriel Bortoleto (F2, P1)

As the defending F3 champion, Bortoleto carried high expectations for his first F2 season, but how he began was hardly ideal.

Starting from pole in the season-opening feature race, the Invicta driver collided with Isack Hadjar at the first corner and earned a 10-second penalty, finishing the race fifth. The following two rounds were no better, as reliability issues and a sprint race collision with Pepe Martí and Hadjar in Melbourne meant he scored no further points.

The turning point came at round four in Imola, where he finished sixth in the sprint race and second in the feature. Thereafter, consistent points finishes brought him into the title fight. He secured wins in the Spielberg and Monza feature races, with his historic climb from last to first in the latter becoming one of F2’s most iconic moments.

After that victory, rumours of a potential F1 graduation intensified. Pictures circulated of Bortoleto and Sauber boss Mattia Binotto in conversation ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. After the F1 round at Interlagos, Sauber announced Bortoleto would join the team for 2025 alongside Nico Hülkenberg, becoming Brazil’s first full-time F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017. 

Bortoleto’s 14-month-long association with McLaren ended after his final F2 race, which saw him clinch the drivers’ title. In doing so, he joined Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri in winning back-to-back championships as rookies in both GP3 or F3 and F2.

Alex Dunne (F3, P14)

Dunne joined the McLaren programme in May 2024, becoming the first Irish driver to be a part of it. Before joining, the 2022 British F4 champion was already racing in F3 with MP Motorsport, and he continued his season with McLaren’s support.

Though he did not score points in his first two rounds, he secured his first podium in the Barcelona sprint race and took another in the final sprint of the year at Monza. He ended a challenging year with a total of 50 points, scored in nine of the 20 races, and 14th place in the standings.

Dunne also joined Theodore Prema Racing for the Macau Grand Prix. After qualifying 12th, he finished the race sixth even after having contact in the multi-car pile-up on the opening lap that caused a red flag. 

Martinius Stenshorne (F3, P18; FRegional Middle East, P8; GB3, P27)

The 2023 FRegional Europe runner-up, Stenshorne was announced as part of the programme alongside Dunne in May 2024.

This year, he returned for his second season in FR Middle East with R-ace GP. Although he only raced in the first three rounds, he finished eighth in the points and took podiums in each of the first four races. 

​​Stenshorne then joined Hitech for this year’s F3 season. His campaign, however, was not consistent. While he achieved his first and only win at the second round in Melbourne, Stenshorne struggled to score points otherwise, finishing inside the top 10 in only five races throughout the season.

He was also one of the drivers suspended from racing in Silverstone for not having a written approval by the FIA to take part in another championship. That was due to his brief participation in GB3 with Chris Dittmann Racing for round two in Silverstone, where he finished ninth and 14th in the two races held.

In 2025, he is set to continue racing in F3 with Hitech.

Ugo Ugochukwu (FRegional Middle East, P7; FRegional Europe, P11; GB3, P13)

As in 2023, Ugochukwu raced in several championships in 2024. His year started in FR Middle East, in which he raced with the Prema-run Mumbai Falcons team. As a newcomer to the category, Ugochukwu had a strong debut season, finishing seventh in the standings and securing three podium finishes, two of which doubled as rookie wins.

He split the rest of his year between a partial GB3 campaign and a full FR Europe season. Competing in rounds one, two, three and six of GB3, Ugochukwu secured three podiums and ended the championship 13th in the standings. 

In FR Europe, however, the 17-year-old had a tougher season. He scored points in only half the races of the season and only secured podium finishes in race two of the Hungaroring round and race one in Monza, where he won his first and only race in the championship.

Although FR Europe with Prema did not go smoothly, his performance in the Macau Grand Prix was a complete turnaround. Racing with R-ace GP, Ugochukwu began the weekend by securing pole for the qualifying race and, by winning that, for the main race as well. He remained unchallenged throughout the race despite having to navigate multiple safety cars, ultimately securing the win under safety car conditions.

Next year, Ugochukwu will step up to F3 and will continue racing with Prema.

Brando Badoer (FRegional Middle East, P10; FRegional Europe, P5)

Badoer was already part of the McLaren programme as an optioned driver on a one-year deal before officially joining it in October 2024.

In 2024, he first raced with PHM in FR Middle East. He had three podium finishes and ended up 10th in the standings.

Also part of the Van Amersfoort Racing line-up in FR Europe this year, Badoer had a highly consistent season in the championship – especially early on, when he finished the first 11 races in the points. He was out of the points in five out of the final nine races this season, twice because of retirements after contact. Although he did not win a race, he finished on the podium seven times during the season

For 2025, Badoer will join Prema as he steps up to F3. 

Bianca Bustamante (F1 Academy, P7; Italian F4, P52; Euro 4, P34; Formula Winter Series, P40; British F4, P29)

Just like Bortoleto, Bustamante was announced as a part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme in October 2023. Representing the papaya team in F1 Academy, Bustamante switched from Prema to ART Grand Prix for her second season in the championship.

But in contrast to her 2023 season, Bustamante’s 2024 campaign was tough. She had a best finish of second in race two in Miami, which was her only podium of the season, and in Zandvoort, Singapore and Qatar, she did not score any points. She finished the year seventh in the standings with 73 points.

Although F1 Academy was the only championship in which she raced full time, Bustamante had a busy year elsewhere. She joined ART for the respective last rounds of Euro 4 and Italian F4 and competed in eight races of the Formula Winter Series, having a best result of 18th. She also joined Hitech for the Zandvoort round of British F4, finishing eighth in the reverse-grid race three.

Lastly, Bustamante was one of McLaren’s drivers for the Formula E women’s test in Madrid, finishing third in the session.

Having completed two seasons in F1 Academy, Bustamante is no longer eligible to compete in the series. As was announced last week, she will move up to GB3 for 2025, racing with Elite Motorsport.

Ella Lloyd (Formula Winter Series, P41; British F4, P11; F1 Academy, P18; Formula Trophy UAE, P24)

In October this year, McLaren announced Lloyd would join their junior programme and represent them in F1 Academy next year. She had already raced in the championship this year as a wild card entry in Singapore, finishing ninth and seventh in the races.

After competing in Ginettas in 2022 and 2023, Lloyd made her single-seater debut in the Formula Winter Series. Racing only in the last two rounds with Rodin Motorsport, Lloyd qualified 38th but gained more than 40 positions over that weekend, finishing 21st and 20th in the first two races from the back of the grid and 22nd from 28th on the grid for race three.

Following that season, she joined JHR Developments in British F4 and secured four podiums throughout the year to finish 11th in the standings with 99 points.

Lloyd also recently raced in the first two rounds of Formula Trophy UAE with Xcel Motorsport but did not score any points. 

Just like Bustamante, Lloyd was one of McLaren’s representatives in the Formula E women’s test in Madrid. She was the seventh-fastest driver at the event.

Dries Van Langendonck (Karting, various)

Van Langendonck is the only driver from the programme who is still competing in karting. The 14-year-old was the 2023 world champion in junior karting and, before that, the winner of the 2022 Trofeo Andrea Margutti in the 60 Mini class. 

Van Langendonck joined the McLaren programme in July 2024, shortly before he won the FIA Karting European Championship in the OKJ class. In the same category, he also won the Champions of the Future Euro Series despite missing the final round and finished second in both the WSK Super Master Series and the WSK Champions Cup over the winter.

He stepped up to senior karts after turning 14 at the end of August and made his OK debut at the final round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at PF International, finishing sixth. The FIA Karting World Championship the next week went poorly – he retired and was classified 22nd – but the WSK Final Cup went much better, and he secured the title despite not winning either of the two final races. He will continue in senior karting in 2025.

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency