FEBRUARY 22, 2012

Blomqvist Jr taken under McLaren's wing

Tom Blomqvist, son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig, has joined McLaren's Driver Development Programme.

Tom Blomqvist, son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig, has joined McLaren's Driver Development Programme.

The 18-year-old became 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 McLaren's programme, Blomqvist will benefit from guidance in off-track skills as he climbs the motorsport ladder.

"I'm thrilled to get this opportunity," he said. "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. 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. We're therefore watching Tom's progress with great interest."