McLaren have added another rising talent to their Driver Development Programme and it will not be long before they sport the papaya colour on the track.
Ella Lloyd was announced as the latest driver to join the McLaren Academy on Tuesday. As part of the deal, she will be racing in the all-female series F1 Academy in 2025 with the team in a Rodin Motorsport-run car.
The 19-year-old from Wales began her racing career in 2022 in the Ginetta Junior Championship and registered 15 points finishes out of 25 races. The following year, she moved to the Ginetta GT Championship and won 10 races to become vice-champion in the GT5 class.
In 2024, Lloyd competed in the Formula Winter Series and made her debut in British Formula 4, scoring three second place finishes and one third place finish to finish 11th overall with 99 points.
At the Singapore Grand Prix, Lloyd made her first appearance in F1 Academy as a wildcard entry. Qualifying in eighth, she went on to register two top 10 finishes to score eight points on her debut weekend.
Ella Lloyd sees Formula E as a ‘great option’ after signing with McLaren
But it will not be in the all-female series where Lloyd will race a McLaren for the first time, as she will take part in the female driver test day at Valencia in Formula E with the team in November.
The test, which is only the second one of its kind after the first in Diriyah in 2018, will see all 11 FE teams run two female drivers as they get a chance in more modern machinery.
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While her future is confirmed for 2025, Lloyd has admitted that she does not know where her career may lie further down the line. Speaking with The Race after signing with McLaren, the 19-year-old considers FE a ‘great option’ for her next move.
“I wouldn’t say I have a direct path in my career for the next few years, to be honest,” she said.
“Formula E is obviously a great option. Doing the test in a few weeks is going to be a real eye-opener into what could be possible, so I’ve just got to take it step-by-step and see what comes my way.”
The all-female Valencia test and young drivers joining the category is exciting times for Formula E
FE has seen three female drivers in its decade-long history in Katherine Legge, Simona de Silvestro and Michela Cerruti, and Lloyd could well be its fourth in the future.
But with the all-female driver test in November, it may open the door for even more female drivers to join the grid in what is an exciting time for the all-electric series.
FE is also attracting young talent, with Formula 2 talents Zane Maloney and Taylor Barnard becoming the youngest two drivers in the category’s history, as they sign with ABT-Lola and McLaren respectively for Season 11.
Barnard will join Sam Bird at McLaren next season, and with her maiden FE test coming up, Lloyd will be eagerly monitoring the situation as she eyes her next career move.