McLaren sign 13-year-old American talent

McLaren announced on Monday afternoon that it has signed a long-term contract with 13-year-old kart driver Ugo Ugochukwu. The American won the FIA OKJ European Championship last year.

McLaren will support his development in the coming years and have an option on Ugochukwu to allow him to race for McLaren in the future. "Ugo is a promising young talent with strong development prospects," McLaren's Formula One team boss Andreas Seidl told Motorsportweek.com. "While he is still early in his career, it is clear that he has the ingredients to be successful in the sport."

Ugochukwu has been stringing together championships in karting since 2014, first in the United States, and later in Europe. "I am honoured to be signed by such an iconic team as McLaren Racing so early in my career" the young talent said of the partnership.

"To have the support of McLaren is fantastic and what every young driver dreams of," Ugochukwu continued. "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."