McLaren Racing has introduced the formation of its McLaren Driver Growth programme, led by former Components 1 driver and Le Mans winner, Emanuele Pirro.
As a part of the programme, McLaren will assist younger drivers of their improvement from karting to skilled racing driver with the intention of facilitating the development of rising expertise into F1.
Alongside this assist for rising grassroots expertise, the programme may also assist established skilled drivers in different collection, offering them with alternatives to achieve expertise in F1.
The programme additionally creates a possible expertise pipeline for the McLaren Components 1 Group, Arrow McLaren IndyCar Group and the NEOM McLaren Components E Group, in both a race seat, or take a look at and improvement driver capability.
The McLaren Driver Growth programme is presently fashioned of Arrow McLaren IndyCar Driver, Pato O’Ward, McLaren Components 1 Reserve Driver Alex Palou and McLaren Younger Driver, Ugo Ugochukwu.
“McLaren has an extended historical past of creating rising expertise into top-level racing drivers and I am proud that may proceed lengthy into the longer term,” stated Zak Brown. “We have now an skilled staff right here at McLaren, who can be ably led by Emanuele, which can be able to offering the assist and assets required to develop uncooked younger expertise into extremely aggressive skilled racing drivers.
“With McLaren’s large racing portfolio throughout Components 1, IndyCar and Components E, we’re nicely positioned to assist develop younger expertise from the very begin of their careers all through to full-time racing or take a look at and improvement roles. We have already got an thrilling secure of expertise, that includes Pato, Alex and Ugo, and I am excited to proceed supporting their improvement as we begin to construct the McLaren Driver Growth programme.”
“I’m thrilled by this task for a number of causes,” added Emanuele Pirro, Director, McLaren Driver Growth programme. “McLaren performed an important function in my profession by giving me the chance to earn an F1 drive and to raise myself to a better degree by working alongside Senna, Prost and Berger.
“Along with my staff, my function will help in making a state-of-the-art programme, deciding on the absolute best drivers and offering them with all of the instruments they should make one of the best use of their expertise. Moreover, embed them within the McLaren mission, imaginative and prescient and values and hopefully, have one among them progress to the F1 staff.
“An essential asset for us are the IndyCar and Components E groups, which can give additional alternatives for an expert profession to our McLaren Driver Growth members.
“I really like working with younger drivers and serving to them develop and enhance. Each time I did it up to now has been an enriching expertise and I look ahead to doing it once more.
“McLaren has a tremendous historical past in F1. It means lots to me, and I’m massively proud to be a part of this programme. I’m grateful to Zak Brown and Andrea Stella for giving me this nice alternative.”
