Matteo De Palo joins McLaren Driver Development Programme

McLaren has announced the signing of Matteo De Palo to the Formula 1 team’s Driver Development Programme.

The Italian recently signed with TRIDENT for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 campaign after finishing the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine as runner up in 2025.

De Palo said that joining the team was an honour, and that he was raring to get to work with them in the coming months.

“Joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme 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. Thank you to Zak, Alessandro and the entire McLaren team. I am excited to get out on track in papaya.”

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Chief Business Affairs Officer of McLaren Racing, added: “The McLaren Driver Development Programme 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. We look forward to supporting his development across driving, as well as the wider aspects of being a professional driver, within our programme pathway."