Meet the three Ellas racing through McLaren's F1 ranks

McLaren Racing

When you think about three Ellas, the first thing that comes to mind might be Rihanna's song Umbrella.

But for people working in the McLaren Formula 1 garage, there's a reason why they're always humming the 2007 hit.

Their three Ellas - Ella Häkkinen, Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens - are all part of the team's Driver Development Programme, which offers guidance and opportunities.

And in a sport traditionally dominated by men, the Ellas are all keen to make their mark, aided slightly by horses and a Welsh dragon.

The slightly older Lloyd, 20, and Stevens, 19, will return to racing in Canada this weekend in the F1 Academy, the sport's all-female category that launched in 2023.

Häkkinen's a step below her fellow Ellas, after joining the McLaren programme last year aged 14, but already feels right at home.

"It's nice to have girls that are also friends do similar championships as you," she says.

It shouldn't come as a surprise though - racing is very much in her blood.

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Häkkinen, now 15, is the daughter of two-time F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen but tells Newsbeat it's actually her grandmother who first took her racing.

"She brought us into an indoor kart arena and I just really loved the passion," she says.

Finnish champion Mika - remembered for his battles with F1 great Michael Schumacher - then took his daughter to try outdoor karting.

She says having a world champ dad comes with plenty of photos and videos of his success, and some handy tips.

"He obviously knows the mindset and mentality," she says.

"What you have to do before the race, what you need to do after the race to recover."

But the 15-year-old often goes to her races without her dad, because "he's really emotional".

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While some F1 stars like Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc choose to race online in their spare time, Häkkinen unwinds by riding horses.

It's something she says she did competitively before motorsports took over.

And horses have also played a helping hand in teammate Ella Lloyd's success.

By her own admission, Lloyd had a "later" start in racing to most, but it's not slowed her down as she was F1 Academy's 'Rookie of the Year' last season.

Just a few years ago she was a talented show jumper and skier, a background she says has "definitely helped" in racing.

"You've got to feel what [the horse] is doing all the time," she says.

"So that transitions well because you're sitting in the car, and you've got to feel what the car is doing underneath you."

Lloyd says a feel for the different types of ice in skiing also helps her understand the grip of the racing track.

"I think that's one of the key things that kind of made the transition a lot easier and a lot quicker."

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It's not just horses helping Lloyd, but a Welsh dragon too, imprinted on her helmet.

She comes from Pontypridd in south Wales and was born into a sporting family as her dad's a Paralympic skier.

"All you see in the comments is just the Welsh flag and everyone supporting from back home," she says.

"It's nice to have such amazing support and I'm proud to have the Welsh flag on my suit."

Lloyd's certainly made her home fans proud with her speed in the car, picking up her first F1 Academy victory in Saudi Arabia last year.

She wasn't able to replicate her success this year as the Jeddah race was cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East.

But Lloyd says she's looking forward to the rest of the season - starting with race two in Canada this weekend.

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The final one of the Ellas - Ella Stevens - started racing when she was just six and has since followed in hallowed racing steps.

She's won karting titles at a similar age to seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.

But Stevens admits racing for McLaren is "a big step up", not least in the exposure.

"Especially being in F1 Academy, it's on an F1 stage," she says.

"So it's a lot bigger to what I'm used to."

The opportunities on offer though are pretty tempting.

Last year's F1 Academy winner, Doriane Pin, drove Hamilton's 2021 Mercedes car back in April.

"It was really cool to see a female drive an F1 car," Stevens says.

"It's just amazing to see that progress."

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