Photo: McLaren
Formula Regional European Championship runner-up Matteo De Palo has become the latest member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
The 18-year-old Italian began 2025 with a part-time FRegional Middle East campaign in which he only scored once, but his sophomore FREC campaign with Trident led to four wins, seven other podiums, three poles and a sustained title attack.
He will continue with Trident when he steps up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship next year, and this weekend he will join R-ace GP’s line-up for the FIA FRegional World Cup-awarding Macau Grand Prix and do so in McLaren colours.
“Joining the MDDP is a great honour. The team have a fantastic track record for developing talent, so I am excited to grow across all elements of being a racing driver,” said De Palo.
In the announcement of De Palo’s signing, McLaren also revealed that Brando Badoer, Martinius Stenshorne and Ugo Ugochukwu will be dropped from the MDDP at the end of 2025.
Badoer joined the MDDP as an ‘optioned driver’ in 2024, then became a fully fledged member this year. That started off well as he came fifth in FRME, but he then stepped up to FIA F3 with Prema and only came 25th in the championship.
Stenshorne was signed by McLaren in May 2024, when it was under different leadership, and he came eighth in FRME and 18th in FIA F3 that year. Although he scored irregularly in F3 with Hitech GP, he did win on his third start. The 19-year-old Norwegian remained with the team this season and was fifth in the standings with two victories.
In September he made his Formula 2 debut with Trident, and step up to the championship full-time in 2026 with Rodin Motorsport. The team has signed Badoer to its FIA F3 squad for next season.
Ugochukwu raced for Sauber’s karting team until March 2021, when Formula 1 rival McLaren signed a long-term agreement with the American that gave the team an option on his services.
He has had the team’s backing since then, coming third in British Formula 4, winning the E4 title then the Macau GP in his first three years in cars. In 2025, his fourth year in single-seaters, he has had a mixed time. There was one win en route to third in the FRME standings, then with Prema in FIA F3 he took two podiums but was only 16th in the points.
Ugochukwu will switch to Campos Racing for his sophomore FIA F3 season in 2026.
“The MDPP is pleased to welcome Matteo. He is an exciting young talent who has made great progress over the past seasons, showing adaptability, consistency and growth,” said Alessandro Alunni Bravi, head of the MDDP since this January.
“We look forward to supporting his development across driving, as well as the wider aspects of being a professional driver, within our programme pathway. We also thank Ugo, Martinius and Brando for their contribution to McLaren and wish them the best for the future.”