McLaren has announced that 18-year-old Tom Blomqvist has joined their Driver Development Programme.
The son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has climbed the ranks after graduating from karting in 2009 to become the youngest driver ever to win the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2010 – a feat which earned him the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s Henry Surtees Award for the most outstanding performance by a young racer.
As part of the McLaren programme, Blomqvist will benefit from a wealth of personalised guidance in the off-track skills demanded by his craft, as well as building on his racing performances as he climbs the motorsport ladder.
Blomqvist said: “I’m thrilled to get this opportunity with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The competition gets fiercer every time you step up a category, and having this level of support will really improve my strength and confidence.”
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “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 1 with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
“We’re therefore watching Tom’s progress with great interest.”
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