Three out, one in: McLaren is revamping its junior program, but without giving any reasons for parting ways with its current squad drivers.
World champion team McLaren has parted ways with three drivers from its junior squad shortly before the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season: Brando Badoer, Martinius Stenshorne, and Ugo Ugochukwu are leaving McLaren at the end of the year.
It is unclear why the trio has no future at McLaren despite “numerous victories and podium finishes” in the junior series. The team has not given any reasons for its decision. Alessandro Alunni Bravi, McLaren’s business director, simply said: “We thank Ugo, Martinius and Brando for their contributions and wish them all the best for the future.”
Brando Badoer is the son of former Formula 1 driver Luca Badoer from Italy. However, his 2025 season in Formula 3 did not go as planned: he only scored points in three of 20 races. His time at McLaren ends after just one year – but not his time in Formula 3: in 2026, Badoer will once again compete in the “third league” below Formula 1.
His former McLaren colleagues have fared much better there: Ugochukwu, Badoer’s Prema teammate, achieved two second places and 16th place overall in Formula 3, while Stenshorne achieved two race wins, three second places and fifth place overall for Hitech.
But even that was apparently not enough to remain a McLaren squad driver. Unlike Badoer and Ugochukwu, however, Stenshorne will not remain in Formula 3, but will move up to Formula 2.
New man in the McLaren junior squad
New to the McLaren junior program is Italian Matteo de Palo, who is now set to be put on the “path to Formula 1, IndyCar and the World Endurance Championship.” De Palo most recently competed in European Formula Renault, where he fought at the top of the field: with four wins and seven other podium finishes, he finished the season in second place overall.
Alunni Bravi calls him a “promising young talent” and praises him, saying, “Matteo has developed well over the past few seasons. He is highly adaptable and consistent.” De Palo himself feels “honored” to join the McLaren squad.
He will be racing in Papaya colors for the first time at this year’s Macau Grand Prix.
