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McLaren Racing Adds Three New Drivers for 2026

12/2/2025

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Summary

Story summary

McLaren Racing will add three drivers to its Driver Development Programme for 2026.
Leonardo Fornaroli, 20-year-old Italian FIA Formula 2 Champion who won Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles, joins the programme for 2026.
Richard Verschoor, the 24-year-old Dutch driver, is third in FIA Formula 2 standings and joins for 2026.
Christian Costoya, the 15-year-old Spanish karting champion, will debut in the 2026 F4 Middle East Championship.

History

Historical Context

The FIA rebranded the GP2 Series as the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017, reviving a category that had been dormant since 2012. This new series aimed to streamline driver progression to Formula 1, with over 50% of its champions, like Charles Leclerc and George Russell, successfully advancing to F1. McLaren's recruitment of young drivers underscores the importance of nurturing talent in motorsport.

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Story summary

McLaren Racing will add three drivers to its Driver Development Programme for 2026.
Leonardo Fornaroli, 20-year-old Italian FIA Formula 2 Champion who won Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles, joins the programme for 2026.
Richard Verschoor, the 24-year-old Dutch driver, is third in FIA Formula 2 standings and joins for 2026.
Christian Costoya, the 15-year-old Spanish karting champion, will debut in the 2026 F4 Middle East Championship.

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