A driver development program (or driver development team) is a system or structure designed for young kart and race car drivers to learn and perfect their racing skills. These programmes are devised by racing teams, external companies and funded partnerships primarily to attract and develop future racing talent. Most programmes now employ a wide range of skilled coaches and technologies to train all of the physical and psychological abilities inherent in driving at the limit and winning races. Most racing teams will sign a driver to a multi-year contract in which they fund or part fund the driver in junior formulas (such as

Formula 3 Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One dr ...

and

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name r ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

, and

Late model A late model car is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. (An early model car or classic car is a car old enough to be of historical interest; there is no usual intermediate term.) The precise definition ...

s and ARCA in stock car racing) and gradually help them succeed to the highest levels of motorsport. Some teams have been criticized for unfair long-term and low-paying contracts for the talented drivers they find whilst also charging the less talented drivers very high fees for the use of their simulations and facilities. Companies that specialise in racing driver training or development programmes remain commercially viable through selling time in their simulators or gyms and generally speaking do not fund a drivers career. Funded partnerships, good driver management companies and driver search and development initiatives will fund or part fund a drivers development and will survive as long as the owners financial commitment and or success at recouping their investment. Be that a return from a talented drivers wages or a promotional exercise designed by a brand or corporation. The following is a list of teams that currently have a driver development programs or are driver development teams.

Open wheel racing

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...

* Alpine Academy –

Alpine F1 Team Alpine F1 Team, competing as BWT Alpine F1 Team, is a Formula One constructor which made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renaul ...

Driver Programme * Ferrari Driver Academy – Scuderia Ferrari Driver Programme * Mercedes Junior Team – Mercedes AMG Petronas Driver Programme * McLaren Young Driver Programme – McLaren F1 team Driver Programme * Red Bull Junior Team –

Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing, also simply known as Red Bull or RBR and currently competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing, is a Formula One racing team, racing under an Austrian licence and based in the United Kingdom. It is one of two Formula One teams owned ...

and

Scuderia AlphaTauri Scuderia AlphaTauri, or simply AlphaTauri, is an Italian Formula One racing team and constructor. It is one of two Formula One constructors owned by Austrian beverage company Red Bull, the other being Red Bull Racing. The constructor was rebra ...

Driver Programme * Sauber Junior Team – Alfa Romeo Racing Driver Programme * Williams Driver Academy – Williams F1 Team Driver Programme * AMF1 Driver Development Programme – Aston Martin F1 Driver Programme

IndyCar INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapo ...

Andretti Autosport Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andrett ...

– Hunter McElrea, Louis Foster (both Indy NXT) *

Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship ...

– Kyffin Simpson ( Indy NXT) * Dale Coyne Racing – Christian Bogle, Danial Frost, Nolan Siegel, Josh Green, Christian Rasmussen, Rasmus Lindh(all Indy NXT) * Ed Carpenter Racing –

Josh Pierson Joshua Pierson (born February 14, 2006) is an American racing driver. He currently competes in Indy NXT for HMD Motorsports, the FIA World Endurance Championship for United Autosport, and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for TDS ...

( Indy NXT) * Team Penske –

Myles Rowe Myles Rowe (born June 19, 2000) is an American racing driver. He is signed to compete in the 2024 Indy NXT driving for HMD Motorsports with Force Indy. He is the 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion. Rowe competed in the 2022 USF2000 Championship with ...

( USF Pro 2000)

Super Formula

KCMG Driver Development Project KC Motorgroup Ltd, known as KCMG, is an auto racing team based in Hong Kong. Founded by former racing driver Paul Ip in 2007, KCMG has participated in a variety of championships across the world in touring car, sports car, and open-wheel r ...

* Honda Formula Dream Project * TGR-DC Racing School

NASCAR

All of these teams have their own developmental driver programs and/or field cars/trucks on their team for developmental drivers. *

B. J. McLeod Motorsports B. J. McLeod Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is owned by B. J. McLeod and his wife Jessica. The team currently fields the No. 78 full-time for ...

Jairo Avila Jr. Jairo Avila Jr. (born May 11, 1995) is a Colombian-American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro for Our Motorsports and the No. 99 Toyota Supra for B. ...

** Josh Bilicki ** Mason Massey ** Vinnie Miller **

Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Notting ...

** Ross Chastain * DGM Racing ** Dillon Bassett **

Ronnie Bassett Jr. Ronald W. Bassett Jr. (born December 21, 1995) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro for his team, Bassett Racing. He and his family team also ...

** Alex Labbé ** Josh Williams * DGR-Crosley (also part of

Ford Performance Ford Performance (formerly Ford Racing) is the high-performance division of the Ford Motor Company and the multinational name used for its motorsport and racing activity. History * 1896 – Henry Ford reached a top speed of 20 mph in his ...

) ** Hailie Deegan ** Tanner Gray ** Taylor Gray ** Thad Moffitt * GMS Racing and JR Motorsports ( Drivers Edge Development) ** Tyler Ankrum ** Josh Berry ** Toni Breidinger ** Jeb Burton ** Sheldon Creed **

Noah Gragson Noah Quinn Gragson (born July 15, 1998) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Petty GMS Motorsports. He previously drove full-time in the ...

** David Gravel ** Carson Hocevar ** Adam Lemke ** Sam Mayer ** Brett Moffitt ** Connor Mosack ** Zane Smith * Hattori Racing Enterprises ** Austin Hill ** Max McLaughlin * JD Motorsports ** Jeffrey Earnhardt **

Colby Howard Colby A. Howard (born October 28, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado for CR7 Motorsports. Racing career Howard started r ...

** Jesse Little ** Robby Lyons * Jimmy Means Racing **

Kody Vanderwal Kody S. Vanderwal (born January 19, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 52 Chevrolet Camaro for Jimmy Means Racing. Racing career Vanderwal's racing ...

Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins (today the Washington Commanders) coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His ...

** Harrison Burton ** Ty Gibbs **

Riley Herbst Riley Dederick Kern Herbst (born February 24, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cam ...

** Brandon Jones * Kaulig Racing ** Ross Chastain ** Justin Haley * Kyle Busch Motorsports ** Christian Eckes ** Raphaël Lessard * MBM Motorsports **

Chad Finchum Chad C. Finchum (born September 22, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 13 Toyota Supra for MBM Motorsports. Finchum has also driven several races in ...

* Niece Motorsports ** Jeb Burton ** Natalie Decker ** Carson Hocevar ** Jett Noland ** Ty Majeski **

Ryan Truex Ryan M. Truex (born March 18, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. Truex's older brother Martin was the 2017 ...

On Point Motorsports On Point Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that fields the No. 30 Toyota Tundra part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Tate Fogleman, Josh Bilicki, Joey Gase, Camden Murphy, Kaden Honeycutt and Chris Ha ...

** Danny Bohn ** Brennan Poole *

Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by Richar ...

** Anthony Alfredo ** Kaz Grala ** Myatt Snider * RSS Racing **

C. J. McLaughlin Charles Joseph "C. J." McLaughlin (born July 1, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving the No. 35 and 53 for Emerling-Gase Motorsports. He has also previously competed ...

** Myatt Snider * Sam Hunt Racing ** Colin Garrett * SS-Green Light Racing **

Ray Black Jr. Raymond Black Jr. (born May 17, 1991) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for SS-Green Light Racing. Racing career Born in Montgomery ...

** Joe Graf Jr. * Stewart-Haas Racing (also part of

) ** Chase Briscoe * Team Penske (also part of

) ** Austin Cindric * ThorSport Racing (also part of

) ** Grant Enfinger ** Ben Rhodes

References