THE daughter of Mika Hakkinen has taken a huge step towards potential involvement in Formula One after joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
Ella Hakkinen, 14, was tipped by her legendary father to become the first female F1 driver of the 21st century.
Last month he labelled the teen, who has been making waves in the world of junior karting, as a “bada**” and said he believes there will be a woman driving in F1 again by 2030.
And she has taken a major step towards that goal by joining McLaren Racing’s driver academy.
A team statement confirmed she would be testing single-seater cars as part of preparation for 2027.
She joins the Papaya team alongside current F1 Academy driver Ella Lloyd and 2025 British KZ2 karting vice-champion Ella Stevens.
Stevens, 18, is the only woman to win in the UK’s premier karting class and will join Lloyd, 20, in F1 Academy as a second McLaren-backed Rodin Motorsport entry in the 2026 field.
The Ella-cubed move comes in partnership with NEOM, who have been a partner of the Woking-based constructor since 2022.
A statement from CEO Zak Brown said: “While I recognise that more remains to be done to increase female representation in motorsport, I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in this space.
“I hope this signals to all the amazingly talented female karters, drivers, engineers, mechanics, marketeers and accountants out there that our sport is open to all and deeply committed to keeping up the incredible momentum we have seen over the past few years.
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“There are so many opportunities both at and away from track and I want to thank NEOM for partnering with us in this space to help us open more pathways for women.
“To now have three talented young female drivers in our Driver Development Programme is really exciting, and I cannot wait to see them hit the track.”
Speaking to Ilta-Sanomat, Hakkinen revealed his daughter and son, Daniel, work with personal trainers from the same performance organisation once used by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, Hintsa Performance.
Hakkinen, who won his two F1 world titles with McLaren, said: “They train at the same level as Hamilton. Nothing is left undone…
“To be a father and a coach doesn’t work, I’m too emotional.
“You need someone very professional who can help your child find the best out of themselves.”
Against the grain
F1 has seen just five female drivers start a race, with the most recent of them, Giovanna Amati, starting three races with Brabham in 1992.
However, the last, and to date only, female F1 driver to score points was Italian Lella Lombardi, who raced between 1974 and 1976 for March, RAM and Williams and scored points in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.
In 2014, Susie Wolff – now the managing director of F1 Academy – became the first woman to participate in a F1 weekend since Amati when she drove for Williams in a practice session at the British Grand Prix.
However, Hakkinen believes there will be a female F1 driver by 2030, and whoever that is would be the first full female driver in the sport this century.
He said: “Female drivers will rise to the highest level by 2030 – whether it’s Ella or someone else.
“This new generation of fans is 40 per cent female, and the sport needs to reflect that.”
