McLaren of Oscar Piastri, 2025.
Photo: FLORENT GOODEN / PHOTOSPORT
British karter Harry Williams has become the youngest ever signing to Formula One champions McLaren’s Driver Development Programme at the age of 11.
The previous youngest current member was Ella Hakkinen, daughter of double F1 world champion Mika, signed last year aged 14.
McLaren’s young driver programme has produced world champions Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in the history of Formula One with seven titles including his first with the Woking-based team in 2008, and reigning champion Lando Norris.
Hamilton joined in 1998 at the age of 13.
“Our goal is to build a consistent pipeline, laddering into our race programmes in F1, IndyCar and the World Endurance Championship for many years to come, and adding Harry as a talented young karter demonstrates this,” said McLaren’s chief business affairs officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi.
New Zealand’s Liam Lawson was 17 when he joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2019.
-Reuters with additional reporting from RNZ