McLaren have announced that British driver Tom Blomqvist has joined their Driver Development Programme.
British teenager's career to be supported by Formula One team
McLaren have announced that British driver Tom Blomqvist has joined their Driver Development Programme.
The 18-year-old became the youngest ever driver to win the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2010 and spent last year racing in the Formula Three Cup.
His performances saw him nominated for the coveted McLaren Autosport BRDC Award and he has now earned the backing of the Formula One giants.
"I'm thrilled to get this opportunity with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," said Blomqvist, whose father Stig won the 1984 World Rally Championship.
"The competition gets fiercer every time you step up a category, and having this level of support will really improve my strength and confidence."
Interest
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says that his team will be following Blomqvist's progress through the junior ranks with "great interest".
Whitmarsh said: "Tom is rightly considered to be a very bright prospect in single-seater racing, as demonstrated by his presence in the shortlist of finalists for the 2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, the ultimate accolade for young drivers and a programme which McLaren has had the pleasure of supporting for more than two decades.
"Tom is also now a member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme.
"On-track results are the ultimate measurements of a driver's merit, and in this regard Tom is already delivering on his potential.
"As a winner of the Formula Renault Championship, he's following in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, who passed this career milestone just three years before graduating to Formula One with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes."
