YOUNG RACER ELLA HäKKINEN JOINS MCLAREN FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT LEAP
Ella Häkkinen, 14-year-old daughter of F1 champion Mika Häkkinen, joins McLaren's driver development program. The promising karter is part of the team's expanded push to support female talent in motorsport.
Ella Stevens, left, Ella Häkkinen, centre, and Ella Lloyd, right, at the McLaren Technology Centre - Photo Credit: McLaren Racing
Ella Häkkinen, daughter of two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Häkkinen, has joined McLaren's enlarged driver development program, marking a significant milestone in the company's efforts to support female talent in motorsport.
Häkkinen will be the youngest driver in the program at the age of 14, but her racing career is already full of potential.
After winning her first significant international karting competition at the Champions of the Future Academy in Cremona in 2024, Häkkinen went on to win and place on several podiums throughout Europe. Her current goal at McLaren is to test single-seaters in anticipation of 2027's debut in the class.
McLaren Puts More Effort Into Developing Female Drivers
The team's continued dedication to increasing chances for female drivers is demonstrated by McLaren's decision to field two cars in the F1 Academy for the upcoming season.
Ella Lloyd, an F1 Academy charger who is now ranked third in the 2025 championship standings and has already won one race, will be back for a second year.
Ella Stevens, a recent recruit to McLaren's driver development program who placed second in this year's British KZ2 Karting Championship and won the first-ever F1A rookie test, will join her. In 2026, Stevens will make the transition to single-seaters for the first time.
Rodin Motorsport will be the driver of both McLaren F1 Academy entrants, while the F1 Academy McLaren Oxagon will be the name of the second vehicle.
"Proud of the progress we have made," says Zak Brown.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, emphasised the team's dedication to encouraging women in motorsport by saying:
"I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made in this arena, even though I know there is still more to be done to improve female participation in racing," he said.
"I hope this shows all of the incredibly brilliant female karters, drivers, engineers, technicians, marketers, and accountants that our sport is accessible to everyone and that we are sincerely committed to maintaining the fantastic momentum that we have witnessed in recent years."
"I want to thank NEOM for working with us in this area to assist us in opening more routes for women. There are so many options both at and outside of track."
"It is really thrilling to have three young, brilliant female drivers in our Driver Development Program, and I can not wait to watch them race."
The series is expected to expand further with Cadillac joining as a sponsor in 2027 and all ten Formula One teams extending their multi-year commitment to F1 Academy.
With her early triumphs and family legacy, the paddock will be closely observing Ella Häkkinen as she embarks on an exciting new chapter by joining McLaren's driver development program.
MAX VERSTAPPEN EYES COMEBACK TO SNATCH 2025 F1 CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN
Max Verstappen's quest for a 5th straight title faces a 49-point deficit to Lando Norris. With 3 races left, a perfect run and McLaren mistakes are his only path to matching Schumacher's record in a dramatic F1 finale.
Verstappen remains dangerous contender - Photo Credit: Getty Images
It will be difficult for Max Verstappen to match Michael Schumacher's record of five straight Formula One driver's titles, but it is not impossible.
Max Verstappen's chances of retaining his title are in shambles with three races left in the 2025 Formula One season, including a final sprint in Qatar.
Oscar Piastri is only 25 points ahead of Verstappen, and the Dutchman's 49-point gap to Lando Norris following the São Paulo Grand Prix is intimidating.
The math, however, is straightforward: there is still drama in the run-in, and the title is up for debate.
Several "what if" scenarios that might potentially swing the balance in Verstappen's favour have been dissected by RacingNews365.
What if Verstappen goes on to win everything?
No matter how severe the points differential appears right now, Verstappen can still change the tide if he dominates the season's last stretch, winning in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi in addition to the Qatar sprint.
He would have a huge advantage over his McLaren competitors if he took the full haul, particularly if Norris and Piastri could not equal his performance.
Norris is compelled to go into defensive mode in this situation.
The championship would be in jeopardy heading into Abu Dhabi, even if you were to finish second to Verstappen in every race that remained.
Verstappen would be in full-on hunter-killer mode, and he has a history of producing runs like that because of his incredible late-season prowess.
What if McLaren makes even a small mistake?
The fight can be rekindled without either McLaren driver retiring.
The standings could be drastically compressed by a single low-scoring weekend for the team, such as a poor qualifying performance in Las Vegas, a damaged front wing in Qatar, or a tactical error.
With just 25 points separating Verstappen and Piastri, the Australian is easily within reach if his form falters.
Verstappen can get in if McLaren has even one compromised grand prix.
It is not unheard of to swing 15 to 20 points in a single weekend; if you do it twice, the championship landscape abruptly shifts.
Although Verstappen's route depends more on McLaren's mistakes than on Red Bull's outright dominance in this scenario, the margins are still manageable.
What if Qatar turns out to be the pivotal moment?
The season's final significant turning point is the Qatar weekend, which features both a sprint and a complete grand prix.
Verstappen could regain 15 to 20 points before the last two rounds even start if he wins both and Norris and Piastri do not place on the podium.
A championship leader may be destabilised by a weekend like this.
Team relations may become complex if Piastri is positioned between the rivals and Norris feels the pressure.
Verstappen's last remaining chance of the season is in Qatar; if he departs Lusail with the deficit down to the low thirties, the title fight will once more be very serious.
What happens if Piastri starts to cause trouble?
In the rankings, Piastri is positioned between Verstappen and Norris, and his position in this three-way battle is exceptionally precarious.
The Australian might unwittingly assist Verstappen by depriving Norris of points if he performs better than his teammate, particularly at Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen just needs the right McLaren to stumble in this situation, not both of them.
Given Piastri's aggressive one-lap performance and developing race craft, a McLaren intra-team struggle could prove to be a nuisance for Norris.
Verstappen would prefer Piastri to defeat Norris while still trailing Red Bull in points. It produces the ideal wedge.
What if Verstappen makes a single slip?
Another awkward situation for Red Bull is that Verstappen's error would probably end the fight right away.
Almost all mathematical possibilities would be eliminated by a DNF, a crash, or even a subdued sixth-place result.
Verstappen knows better than anyone that he needs to go on a perfect run with just three rounds remaining, and Norris scoring goals regularly.
This situation highlights Red Bull's performance. From here to Abu Dhabi, strategy, pit stops, dependability, and tyre management must all be flawless. Is there any room for error?
What occurs if it is a straight shootout in the last round?
There is still a romantic chance that Abu Dhabi may host a championship match once more.
To achieve that, Verstappen must outscore Norris by about 20 to 25 points over the course of the following two rounds. This is difficult, but not impossible, given the sprint involved.
Before the final, if the difference closes to 25 points, Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen might face off in a three-way match.
Despite the odds being against him, Verstappen's ambitions of winning the 2025 championship are still very much alive, and his route to success is based as much on McLaren's possible mistakes as it is on his own skills.
He still has a chance to win a fifth world title if he can combine a late-season push with a little luck.
The narrative continues. There are still three rounds, a sprint, and 83 points to go, and Formula One tends to save its most dramatic turns until last.
OSCAR PIASTRI MUST STEP UP AS TITLE BID FADES FAST
Oscar Piastri has been told to "personalise" his McLaren car like teammate Lando Norris to revive his F1 title hopes. The Australian has fallen behind Norris and Max Verstappen after a recent dip in form.
Oscar Piastri urged to follow Norris’ blueprint after title slip - COURTESY/PHOTO
In order to catch up to his teammate, Oscar Piastri has been advised to "personalise" the McLaren car in the same manner as Lando Norris.
Before the mid-season break, the Melbourne native was the clear favourite to win the Formula One championship, but a sharp decline in form has caused him to lag behind Norris and look up to Max Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri is instructed to "personalise" the McLaren vehicle in an effort to resurrect title ambitions.
Since Azerbaijan, the once-unflappable Piastri has been suffering from a string of subpar performances, while Verstappen and now Norris appear to be playing at their peak.
As a result, Verstappen sits 25 points behind Norris, who is 24 points ahead of Piastri. Piastri's title challenge is still alive with three race weekends remaining, but 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has advised him that if he wants to return to his former level of prominence, he needs to learn to "personalise" the McLaren car.
He claimed on Sky Sports that "Norris worked on his automobile." "He completed the first stage and truly joined the team to customise the vehicle."
"You will never return to that level until Piastri can achieve the same thing."
Piastri has always remained upbeat in spite of his difficulties, and he thinks there are "flashes" when he feels at ease in the vehicle.
"There is no denying that things have not been going smoothly," Piastri stated in Sao Paulo.
"I believe that this past weekend had flashes and times were I felt really at ease.
"[In] practice, things felt great and were coming a lot more naturally again. During the weekend, it sort of disappeared from us.
Even our team's pace was not as strong as it was on Friday, in my opinion, and the vehicle kind of took a turn that I did not particularly like.
However, we made every effort to position the car in a favourable window, and the Sprint crash undoubtedly made it considerably more challenging.
"So, even though a lot is going wrong right now, I believe that I still have bursts of really good pace, and it is just a matter of making sure I always have that."