Ella Hakkinen, daughter of two-time F1 world champion Mika, will make her single-seater debut this weekend.
The 15-year-old will transfer into single-seater racing in 2026, competing within the F4 Central European Zone Championship with Swiss crew Jenzer Motorsport.
Hakkinen will make his F4 CEZ debut on the Purple Bull Ring in Austria from April tenth to twelfth.
Hakkinen was added to McLaren’s driver improvement program in November on the age of 14.
She has racked up wins and podiums throughout Europe in karting and is the youngest driver in McLaren’s junior program.
Her father Mika, who gained back-to-back F1 titles with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, foresaw that she would turn into a future motorsport star.
“Ella is a really proficient racing driver. I am not simply saying this as a father, however based mostly on my observations as a former high driver,” he informed Finnish newspaper Irta Sanomat.
“Her motivation is nice. She actually needs to be a racing driver. Within the meantime, she has turn into a real daredevil. In just a few years, we’ll once more expertise a top-class rider, whether or not it is Ella or one other rider.”
“The brand new technology of F1 followers is 40 per cent feminine and the game should mirror that.”
The final lady to compete in an F1 race was Italy’s Lella Lombardi in 1976.
When Hakkinen was introduced as a part of McLaren’s improvement programme, CEO Zac Brown stated:
“We hope this reveals all our amazingly proficient feminine carters, drivers, engineers, mechanics, entrepreneurs and accountants that our sport is open to everybody and that we’re deeply dedicated to sustaining the unimaginable momentum now we have seen over the previous few years.”
“There are many alternatives on and off the monitor. I wish to thank NEOM for partnering with us on this space to open extra avenues for ladies. The addition of three proficient younger feminine drivers to our driver improvement program is basically thrilling and we will’t wait to see them take to the monitor.”
