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By Andrew Benson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McLaren have signed a contract with 13-year-old American karter Ugo Ugochukwu to support him through racing’s junior categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Formula 1 team said the agreement gives them an option to sign Ugochukwu to a race deal in the future. McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown said: “We’ve been watching Ugo’s progress with interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“So when the opportunity to sign an agreement with him became available, we had no hesitation moving on it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move gives McLaren what they describe as a multi-year contract with Ugochuku, within which there is an option they can choose to take up which would tie him to a further multi-year racing deal. This could be in F1 or in other categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McLaren, like many F1 teams, have had a young driver programme for many years. Their most high-profile graduate is Lewis Hamilton, who was also signed by the team when he was 13, and who remains so far F1’s only black driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ugochukwu, who was born in New York and whose mother is Nigerian, won last year’s FIA OK Junior European championship, and has graduated to the senior class this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
F1 has not had an American driver since Alexander Rossi took part in five races for the Marussia team in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last American to win a Grand Prix was 1978 world champion Mario Andretti – at that year’s Dutch Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McLaren F1 team principal Andreas Seidl said: “Ugo is a promising young talent with strong development prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“While he is still early in his career, it is clear he has the ingredients to be successful in the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This signing reflects our refocused approach to identifying and supporting new talent, away from a formal young driver programme to a more tailored basis.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ugochukwu said: “I’m honoured to be signed by such an iconic team as McLaren Racing so early in my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“To have the support of McLaren is fantastic and what any young driver dreams of. I’m focused right now on developing as a driver and racer, so having McLaren by my side can only help me on and off the track.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally published at BBC<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Andrew Benson McLaren have signed a contract with 13-year-old American karter Ugo Ugochukwu to support him through racing’s junior categories. The Formula 1 team said the agreement gives them an option to sign Ugochukwu…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[951,1274,1273],"class_list":["post-4361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-formula-one","tag-mclaren","tag-ugo-ugochukwu"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n