McLaren Confirm Exciting New Driver Signing Today

McLaren has added 18-year-old Italian Matteo De Palo to its Driver Development Programme after his runner-up finish in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.

Driving for Trident Motorsport, De Palo took four wins and seven additional podiums, signaling consistent execution and racecraft that translate well to higher single-seater categories.

McLaren confirms he will race papaya machinery at the 2025 Macau Grand Prix, with a planned promotion to the FIA Formula 3 Championship for the 2026 season.

The signing aligns with McLaren’s strategy of investing early, providing structured support on and off track to accelerate readiness for senior competition.

De Palo stresses the programme’s track record, and acknowledges backing from Zak Brown and Alessandro Alunni Bravi as he targets measurable gains across preparation, feedback, and adaptability.

McLaren also confirms academy changes, with Ugo Ugochukwu, Martinius Stenshorne, and Brando Badoer departing, joining earlier exit Alex Dunne.

Alunni Bravi highlights De Palo’s adaptability and steady year-on-year progress, describing him as a consistent performer with headroom to develop racecraft and technical understanding.

The programme will tailor support around simulator work, physical conditioning, media duties, and data correlation to prepare De Palo for increasingly complex programmes.

McLaren’s current Formula 1 form underpins the plan, with the team leading the 2025 Constructors’ standings and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri occupying the top two positions.

Against a packed 2025 calendar, the Macau Grand Prix provides a high-pressure benchmark for De Palo before his targeted step into FIA Formula 3 in 2026.

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