McLaren Mercedes announced that British teenager Tom Blomqvist, son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, has joined the select group of young talent on its Driver Development Programme.
18-year-old Blomqvist has made outstanding progress since graduating from karting in 2009. In 2010 he became the youngest driver ever to win the Formula Renault UK Championship, a feat which earned him the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s Henry Surtees Award for the most outstanding performance by a young racer. Two recent Formula One World Champions, including Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, also achieved early success in Formula Renault.
Carrying that race-winning form to the Formula 3 Cup for 2011, Blomqvist was shortlisted for the highly prized McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.
As part of the McLaren Driver Development 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.
Tom 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.”
Martin Whitmarsh (Team Principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 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 1 with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
"We’re therefore watching Tom’s progress with great interest.”