McLaren fielded a very strong group of junior drivers this season, highlighted by the emergence of Alex Dunne in Formula 2. At first glance, one might see the future of Formula 1 amongst their four F2 and F3 drivers.
Over the years, McLaren have fielded a strong group of junior drivers who have gone on to succeed in Formula 1. The most highlighted drivers of their program have been Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Kevin Magnussen.
But coming back to 2025, McLaren have now parted ways with Alex Dunne, Ugo Ugochukwu, Martinius Stenshorne, and Brando Badoer in a surprising shakeup. The future of their junior team suddenly lies with Matteo De Palo.
McLaren's bold move might backfire
Dunne has been spectacular in Formula 2 this season and appeared to bound for a spot in F1 in the near future given the promise he demonstrated not just in Formula 2 but in FP1 ahead of Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix in June and Italian Grand Prix in September. Ugochukwu was another driver who had demonstrated that he has lots of potential moving forward.
Now McLaren have signed of De Palo, and he is the one who could turn out to be the future of McLaren, several years down the road. At just 18 years old, De Palo has been confirmed for a Formula 3 debut in 2026, having finished second in the Formula Regional European Championship this year.
De Palo’s potential timeline in terms of reaching Formula 1, assuming all goes well, could take approximately three or four years. In 2029 or 2030, however, a McLaren seat would still depend on Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, or both, being elsewhere.
Will the young Italian get a chance to drive for McLaren in Formula 1, or will he too end up in a new program like those with whom McLaren cut ties this year?
One concern with McLaren's decision to prioritize De Palo is their current lack of depth in the junior system. Ever since they started their junior driver program in 1998, they have always had multiple drivers within the youth system. Even on the current Formula 1 grid, 20% are former McLaren junior drivers.
This could be because Zak Brown and the rest of McLaren have shifted their visions and goals moving forward, having won back-to-back constructor championships with Norris and Piastri. However, the sudden shift away from a proven and successful model could hurt them for years to come.