Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: McLaren Development Driver

  • Fornaroli signs to McLaren Driver Devleopment Programme

    Newly crowned Formula 2 Champion, Leonardo Fornaroli has become one of three new signings to the McLaren Driver Development Programme, with the Italian joining alongside fellow F2 racer Richard Verschoor and 2025 FIA European Karting Champion Christian Costoya.

    Fornaroli sealed the F2 title during the Feature Race in Qatar, the Invicta Racing driver taking P2 in the event to confirm his championship triumph following a season in which he has claimed four victories and five podiums.

    It also marks back-to-back titles for the 20 year old, who emulated the likes of Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Borotleto by winning the the F2 Championship off the back of doing the same in Formula 3 one year earlier.

    Now becoming part of the McLaren family, Fornaroli will take on a test and development role within the F1 team’s structure.

    Also joining the programme is Verschoor, who finished third this season in the Formula 2 Championship. The 24 year old from the Netherlands has won four races during the current campaign.

    Another signing by McLaren is 15 year old Costoya. The Spanish teenager has claimed multiple karting championships and is set to make his single seater debut in the 2026 F4 Middle East Championship at the Yas Marina Circuit on January 16th – 18th.

    McLaren Racing are delighted to welcome two of Formula 2’s current leading drivers in this year’s Champion Leonardo Fornaroli and former Championship contender and fellow front-runner Richard Verschoor, as well as proven karting champion, Christian Costoya, to the McLaren Racing Driver Development Programme. All three talented drivers have shown great race craft with multiple wins this season, alongside a number of impressive performances in their respective championships. By welcoming Christian to the programme alongside long-standing member, Dries Van Langendonck, we now also have two of the most promising drivers coming out of karting. It is a key priority that we continue to develop our talent pipeline to provide options for all of our expanding racing teams. We look forward to working closely with all our drivers in 2026 as they continue their individual development at various stages of their career with the support of the programme through a wide range of testing and progression opportunities across all of our racing series.
    Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Chief Business Affairs Officer, McLaren Racing.

  • McLaren sign Matteo de Palo to Driver Development Programme

    McLaren Racing have announced that Matteo De Palo has joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme, adding to its stable of young talent.

    The 18 year old, started karting in 2016, progressing through junior karting series with success across 60 Mini, OK-Junior and OK, with top finishes in WSK Super Master Series and the FIA Karting Academy Trophy.

    The Italian, from Rome, made his single-seater debut in 2023 with Campos Racing in the Spanish F4 Championship. A successful season saw him secure a race win and three additional podiums, finishing fifth in the Championship overall.

    He also took part in rounds of the Italian F4 and British F4 Championships. In 2024, he stepped up into the Formula Regional European Championship, with one race win and one second place finish.

    This year, Matteo competed in FRECA with Trident Motorsport, winning four races and visiting the podium on another seven occasions, securing second place in the Championship.

    The team also confirms that Ugo Ugochukwu, Martinius Stenshorne and Brando Badoer will not continue with the McLaren Driver Development Programme past the end of the year.

    The McLaren Driver Development Programme is pleased to welcome Matteo. He is an exciting young talent who has made great progress over the past seasons, showing adaptability, consistency and growth. We look forward to supporting his development across driving, as well as the wider aspects of being a professional driver, within our programme pathway. We also thank Ugo, Martinius and Brando for their contribution to McLaren and wish them the best for the future.
    Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Chief Business Affairs Officer.

    Joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme is a great honour. The team have a fantastic track record for developing talent, so I am excited to grow across all elements of being a racing driver. Thank you to Zak, Alessandro and the entire McLaren team. I am excited to get out on track in papaya.
    Matteo on the news.

  • Brando Badoer joins Rodin for 2026

    Rodin Motorsport have confirmed their first driver signing for the next Formula 3 season, with Brando Badoer set to race for them in 2026.

    The 19 year old is set to return for a second campaign in F3, achieving a best result of P6 in the Budapest Sprint Race and finishing 25th in the Drivers’ Standings in 2025.

    Also in 2025, the Italian finished fourth in Formula Regional Middle East Championship.

    Prior to that, Badoer achieved seven podiums on his way to finishing fifth in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.

    The 19 year old will now return for another season in Formula 3, and he is glad to be doing so with Rodin.

    I’m super excited to be joining the Rodin F3 team for next season. I can’t wait to get it started, full push!
    Badoer on the news.

    We’re delighted to welcome Brando to Rodin Motorsport for FIA F3 in 2026. He’s shown great speed and maturity, and we’re confident he’ll make a strong impact with the team.
    Benn Huntingford, Rodin Motorsport’s Sporting Director..

  • Rodin Motorsport complete 2025 line-up

    Rodin Motorsport have finalised their line-up for the upcoming Formula 2 season with Alexander Dunne set to race alongside Christian Mansell for them in 2025.

    Dunne steps up to F2 after a rookie year in Formula 3 which he achieved two podiums, coming in the Barcelona and Monza Sprint Races, going on to finish 14th in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to that, the McLaren Development Driver Programme member won the 2022 British F4 title and also finished as runner-up in Italian F4 that year and in the 2023 GB3 Championship.

    The Irishman will now be moving up to Formula 2 with Rodin Motorsport in 2025 having driven for the team on all three days of post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last year.

    I’m pleased to be able to confirm my plans for the 2025 season, which will see me joining Rodin Motorsport and participating in Formula 2. I’m looking forward to the upcoming season and thankful for everyone’s support in getting me to this stage – I can’t wait to hit the ground running.
    Dunne on the news.

    We are delighted to welcome Alex to Rodin Motorsport. Alex’s talent, dedication, and passion for racing align perfectly with our team’s values and ambitions. We are confident that he will make a significant impact in the upcoming season and know that he is capable of enjoying a really great season with the team.
    Benn Huntingford, Rodin Motorsport Sporting Director and Team Manager.