The 3 Ellas leading McLaren’s F1 Academy programme

McLaren has also taken considerable strides in seeking out some of the best young female talent and placing them on the same developmental pathway, in the hope that one day a woman will again race in F1.

After stepping into papaya overalls in F1 Academy last year, Ella Lloyd — who remarkably did not turn a wheel in go-karts, as would normally be expected for any aspiring driver — performed superbly.

Against second year 'veterans' in Mercedes' Doriane Pin, Maya Weug of Ferrari, and Red Bull's Chloe Chambers, Lloyd finished an admirable fourth in the standings, claiming five podiums, including one win.

Now in her second and final year herself, the expectations on the shoulders of the 20-year-old from Wales are high, not least as she has competition at McLaren in the second of the three Ellas on the Woking-based organisation's books, Ella Stevens.

Unlike Lloyd, Stevens spent eight years in karts before being handed her F1 Academy opportunity. Again, unlike Lloyd — who at least had three years of single-seater experience — Stevens has stepped straight into an F4-spec car this year.

The 19-year-old Englishwoman excelled in the rookie F1 Academy test late last year in Navarro, Spain. Stevens finished quickest in the morning session and second fastest in the afternoon, earning her a seat at the table of McLaren's Driver Development Programme, and a seat on the F1 Academy grid, driving for Rodin Motorsport, representing McLaren Oxagon.

All the while, waiting in the wings once Lloyd leaves F1 Academy at the end of this year is Ella Häkkinen, daughter of two-time F1 Champion Mika, and on whom there are high hopes.

Explaining McLaren's thinking behind its plans for its trio of drivers, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, head of the Driver Development Programme, said: "We are very lucky that we have three drivers, and we don't consider them as female drivers, who are really promising.

"This is part of our strategy. In the F1 Academy, each year we want to have one experienced driver and a rookie, so that they can benefit, one from each other; one side from experience, the other with a fresh approach, pushing each other to the limit.

"When we started the F1 Academy programme, we decided on how to approach this. This year, we have two cars, working to this strategy."

Alunni Bravi highlighted the fact that F1 Academy is unusual in its dynamic, compared to many other junior categories, in featuring on the support-race bill on several F1 weekends throughout the year, placing it in a spotlight that the young women have to deal with.

"Ella Lloyd is in her second year, after a very strong first season in which she was immediately able to win," said Alunni Bravi. "She is also doing very important work for us, with our partners.

"You need to understand that F1 Academy is really demanding, because you are pushed immediately to the top level of motorsport."

"Although it's a Formula 4 car, because you are with Formula 1, you have all the attention from the media, and you have Netflix and many partners looking at you, so the challenge is very big, and Ella is doing a very good job, on track and off track.

"Then, last year, we were impressed by Ella Stevens, a champion in British karting, the KZ Championship, which is a very important category for driver preparation."

Referencing the opening F1 Academy race in Shanghai in March, in which Lloyd was seventh and fifth in the two races, and Stevens in 11^th and 12^th, Alunni Bravi added: "She [Stevens] has done less mileage, maybe less than any other driver currently in F1 Academy. But she was immediately very competitive in the first race, and in the qualifying session, P11, less than one tenth from Ella Lloyd.

"She knows that she has to improve in certain areas, but we see her progressing during the season, and next year she will be the experienced driver in our team, and then we will see Ella Häkkinen coming in."

Underlining McLaren's approach, Alunni Bravi said: "So this is not just about one driver, but is part of the overall strategy in how we approach F1 Academy.

"For me, it is the first platform to allow female drivers to have an opportunity to race on equal terms, an equal level, and then to have the opportunity to take the next step, with the preparation at least similar to the one that all the other drivers have when they approach the junior categories."

For both Lloyd and Stevens, there is an appreciation and understanding of what it means to represent McLaren, not only in front of a global audience, but also to the team's plethora of high-end sponsors.

"It's quite a big step," said Lloyd. "We're racing for McLaren in the papaya colours, so there's a lot of attention and a lot of expectations from the fans to perform.

"It takes a little bit to adapt and get used to, but you have to take it all in your stride, and also use it as positivity as well, because everyone's there to support you."

For Stevens, given her lack of single-seater knowledge, she understandably describes her journey from karting directly into McLaren and F1 Academy as "an extremely big step up".

"I've come from karting in Britain, in which the championships are big, but the crowds and everything are very small," she said. "Going from that to F4 would be a big step in itself, let alone going to an F1 stage, which is crazy to be honest.

"We had the test a few weeks before China, and obviously no one was there, and then coming back and seeing everything set up, I'd never been to a Grand Prix before, that was my first time. Going into an F1 paddock for the first time was incredible.

"So far, at McLaren, it's been amazing. It's obviously a very prestigious team and everyone looks up to them, and it's amazing to be part of that. Everyone here is really supportive. You have great facilities, which are very helpful for my career."

Stevens concedes to being "very fortunate" in her selection for the development programme, particularly after being "very limited with budget" for single-seater racing. Now in place, she does not lack confidence.

"I've never really seen being a female as a limiting factor," she said. "I've just always wanted to progress with each category and reach the highest level of motorsport, whether that's Formula 1 or IndyCar, anything really. It's really important that I just keep improving and eventually become successful."

Of the three Ellas, Häkkinen has the right background and pedigree, unsurprising when you consider the achievements of her father.

After watching Häkkinen drive in several test sessions, Warren Hughes — a key pillar of the programme — feels she is one to watch.

"I had a question for the [support] team halfway through the day of one of the test sessions at Paul Ricard, because she hasn't done a lot, coming straight from karting," said Hughes.

"I asked if they were using a reference driver for some of the sessions and then swapping back over, and they said no, that Ella was in the car the whole time. There was a serious commitment, visible on track.

"She is way ahead of what I expected at this early stage. I'm not trying to create any hype or expectation, but I was genuinely surprised by her level.

"It was a group test, so you're never quite sure of what everybody is doing with fuel loads, tyres, etcetera. But just watching the car on track, it was really impressive.

"Out of the car, she's very focused, very driven. You can see there's a real determination there, that she's a strong character. She's got a fire in her, so the early signs are really promising."

As far as McLaren's female driver development goes, it is evident the signs are very encouraging.   

Images courtesy of Getty Images.