The 2021 Formula 1 season is upon us this weekend with the Bahrain GP. While Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris aim to continue McLaren's upward trajectory from the 2020 season, there’s even more work happening behind the scenes to ensure a bright future. The British team just signed 13-year-old American karting champion Ugo Ugochukwu to its young driver development programme.
To the uninitiated, these programmes are high risk, high reward. When then-McLaren Team Principal Ron Dennis signed Lewis Hamilton and Wesley Graves to the team's Young Driver Program in 1998, no one knew one would go on to be an F1 superstar while the other raced for only a season more.
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Following his championship run in the European Karting Championship, Ugochukwu is signing with McLaren at the same age Lewis Hamilton did. While it’s a tremendous achievement and means there's a chance to make the transition from karts to cars, we’d be remiss not to mention the fine print. The deal merely gives the team the option to use Ugo’s services in the future.
“We’ve been watching Ugo’s progress with interest, so when the opportunity to sign an agreement with him became available, we had no hesitation moving on it,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “Now we’ll focus on giving Ugo the right support when he needs it to help him fulfil his potential.”
High performance in any discipline:
“I’m honoured to be signed by such an iconic team as McLaren Racing so early in my career," Ugochukwu said in a statement released by McLaren. "To have the support of McLaren is fantastic and what any young driver dreams of. I’m focused right now on developing as a driver and racer, so having McLaren by my side can only help me on and off the track."
A native New Yorker, the 13-year-old Ugochukwu will have every chance for success with a high-calibre team such as McLaren behind him. Confidence is everything in racing, and this kid clearly shows it with multiple karting championships to his name. We're looking forward to what the future holds for this young American.
Source: McLaren Racing
McLAREN RACING SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH RISING KARTING STAR UGO UGOCHUKWU
The promising young driver was recently crowned FIA European karting champion
McLaren Racing today announced that it has signed a long-term agreement with Ugo Ugochukwu, the promising young driver from the USA, who was recently crowned FIA European karting champion.
The 13-year-old American has proven to be a revelation, already securing several titles in his young career in the US and Europe, and most recently winning the 2020 FIA OKJ European Championship.
The agreement provides McLaren Racing with an option on Ugo’s services in the future, while supporting his development and evolution as he progresses through the junior categories of motorsport.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:
“We’ve been watching Ugo’s progress with interest, so when the opportunity to sign an agreement with him became available, we had no hesitation moving on it. Now we’ll focus on giving Ugo the right support when he needs it to help him fulfil his potential.”
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1, said:
“Ugo is a promising young talent with strong development prospects. While he is still early in his career, it is clear he has the ingredients to be successful in the sport. This signing reflects our refocused approach to identifying and supporting new talent, away from a formal young driver programme to a more tailored basis.”
Ugo Ugochukwu, said:
“I’m honoured to be signed by such an iconic team as McLaren Racing so early in my career. To have the support of McLaren is fantastic and what any young driver dreams of. I’m focused right now on developing as a driver and racer, so having McLaren by my side can only help me on and off the track.”