McLaren Academy

𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 – 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟑, 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝟏𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚

Round 3 of the INF1NITY IAME Series Asia saw the McLaren Academy team return to the challenging Bira Circuit, where we supported two drivers in the highly competitive X30 Master class.

Luke Armstrong, with support from Simon Racing and Merlin Engines, delivered a faultless performance across the entire event. From the opening timed session through to the final race, Luke maintained control at the top of the timesheets, completing a clean sweep of the round. His ex*****on on track was matched by a disciplined and consistent approach, resulting in a dominant and well-earned victory.

A key focus for the team throughout the weekend was developing a detailed understanding of tyre performance on Bira’s demanding, high-degradation surface. By the conclusion of practice, we had established clear benchmarks around peak performance, longevity, and the influence of changing track and weather conditions. Luke’s commitment to the process and his ability to consistently deliver on these targets were instrumental in the overall result.

We also welcomed Ian Whillock of Eugene Racing into the McLaren Academy program for the weekend. Ian joined the team to further develop his race craft through enhanced data analysis and a deeper understanding of kart setup, while evaluating the benefits of a tailored driver approach.

Ian made an immediate impression, securing P2 in qualifying and contributing to a front-row lockout for McLaren Academy. He demonstrated strong pace and competitiveness throughout the event; however, a pair of racing incidents impacted his results and prevented what was shaping up to be an outstanding weekend. Despite this, his performance highlighted significant potential moving forward.

The team extends its thanks to Simon Racing, Merlin Engines, Eugene Racing, and May Angkhana for capturing the event.

With strong momentum from Bira, the team now looks ahead to the next round on the streets of Macau.

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𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐍𝐙 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬

Following the Formula Ford Final the previous week, McLaren Academy returned to New Zealand for a second consecutive event, partnering with to compete across all eligible classes (excluding Cadets) at the in Rotorua.

The team also benefited from the continued involvement of Adam Mercer , whose extensive knowledge and experience provided invaluable guidance across the weekend, further strengthening the Academy’s performance and development.

The team demonstrated strong early pace, consistently placing within the top ten across the majority of sessions. Our three Australian McLaren Academy drivers proudly represented the programme alongside 13 fellow Australians, competing against some of the best talent in New Zealand karting.

Sunday’s finals presented typically unpredictable Kiwi conditions, requiring strategic decision-making around tyre selection and timing. Rapidly changing track conditions led to significant pace fluctuations throughout each race; however, the team adapted well and delivered composed, professional performances under pressure.

The effort across the entire McLaren Academy squad was commendable, with every driver demonstrating determination and resilience throughout the weekend.

We extend our sincere thanks to the team at for their outstanding hospitality and support. Their collaborative approach, particularly in embracing our data acquisition and performance insights, contributed significantly to the team’s overall progress.

A special thank you to .turnbull_ from for capturing the weekend and delivering outstanding visual coverage of the event.

The Academy continues to build momentum — onward and upward. 💪

𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 – 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐩𝐨̄ 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤

With the 2026 NAPA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship title already decided, the final round at Taupō Motorsport Park provided an important development opportunity for McLaren Academy driver

Treating the weekend as a dedicated test programme, the team focused on gathering valuable data and continuing to refine the car. The approach delivered strong results, with clear progress made across the weekend and a positive atmosphere within the garage.

Izaak secured 7th overall for the round, a solid result that also saw him finish 6th in the championship standings on 610 points — a commendable outcome reflecting consistent improvement throughout the season.

Credit to Izaak for his continued hard work, professionalism, and positive mindset, along with the efforts of the entire team in maximising the weekend’s opportunities.

Focus now shifts to the upcoming ITM Supercars event at Ruapuna Raceway in Christchurch (17–19 April), where the team will look to build on the progress made and apply their learnings on a major stage.

𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 – 𝐍𝐙𝐈𝐆𝐏 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 | 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

McLaren Academy was proud to partner with for the NZIGP round at Hampton Downs, marking an exciting collaboration focused on driver development and performance optimisation.

Following travel from the South Island to the North Island, Izaak entered the weekend with limited preparation but quickly found his rhythm. After timing in during practice, he qualified in P9, setting a solid foundation for the races ahead.

Race 1 and Race 2 saw consistent performances, with Izaak maintaining position to finish P9 in both outings. While the results didn’t yet reflect our full potential, valuable data and insights were gained across both races.

In Race 3, a significant step forward was made. Improved pace and ex*****on saw Izaak running competitively within the top four before ultimately crossing the line in P6—demonstrating clear progression and racecraft under pressure.

The final race of the weekend showed even greater promise. Izaak made strong early moves, gaining four positions and continuing his charge through the field. Unfortunately, a gearbox failure on the final lap resulted in a DNF, denying what was shaping up to be a standout result.

Despite the challenges, the weekend marked a major step forward in performance and innovation. The integration of McLaren Academy’s Driver Tablet technology—utilised pre- and mid-session—provided real-time cockpit data, live weather tracking, and session insights. This system continues to set a new benchmark in driver support and analytics, enabling faster decision-making and enhanced on-track performance.

With strong momentum building, the team now looks ahead to the final round of the NAPA National Formula Ford Series in Taupō. The focus remains on refining driver development processes, strengthening fundamentals, and continuing the push toward the front of national-level competition

Strong start at RMC Thailand Round 1 🏁

A fantastic weekend for McLaren Academy at the opening round of the Rotax Max Challenge Thailand at the Bira Kart Circuit.

A huge congratulations to Ari Adulayavichitr ( #23) who secured an impressive 3rd place podium finish in the Micro Rookie class against a highly competitive field.

After a challenging few practice days with changing conditions, Ari delivered when it mattered most. His confident racecraft and fearless positioning on track – including some impressive outside moves – demonstrated maturity and determination well beyond his years.

The kart improved session by session, showcasing the power of teamwork throughout the weekend.

Micro Rookie Podium Results

🥇 Mitritriwiwat Vanichchprapha ( #95)
🥈 Achirira Pienpuk ( #77)
🥉 Ari Adulayavichitr ( #23)

A big thank you to the Simon Racing Team for their support, and to everyone at Autowerks Racing for their continued efforts.

We’re incredibly proud to see Ari on the podium. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey ahead.

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 🔥

The McLaren Academy support van is now fully sign written and ready to hit the road, proudly showcasing what we’re all about — data-driven driver development, race data engineering, and kart set-up support.

This van travels thousands of kilometres each season supporting our drivers at tracks, test days, and race meetings, carrying the equipment and technology that helps turn data into performance.

A huge thank you to the team at Nick Pro Visuals for bringing this design to life. The attention to detail and quality is outstanding, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

You won’t miss us when we roll into the track now🔥

INFINITY IAME Asia Pacific Games 2026 🏁

The 2026 InF1nity IAME Asia Pacific Games delivered world-class competition, and stepped up in the X30 Masters category with a composed and calculated performance.

Preparation was key. The team tested weeks prior to the event, ensuring the data plan was fresh and ready to execute. As Jimmy summed it up: “It was just tweaking.” That groundwork proved invaluable across the weekend.

Luke qualified P2 by the barest of margins, immediately positioning himself at the front of a highly competitive field.

The heat races produced one of the standout battles of the meeting against Japanese ace Takeharu Nakamori. Both drivers claimed a heat win in an incredible exchange of the lead that went down to the final lap. Unfortunately, one result was overturned post-race due to a 100-gram underweight infringement — a razor-thin margin in elite competition.

The Super Heat saw Luke clipped on the outside, effectively ending any opportunity to fight back through the field.

Starting the Final from P7, Luke dropped to P10 in the early stages. But the team had a long-game strategy in place. The kart was set up to come on strong as the race unfolded — and it delivered. Consistently pulling 0.3 seconds per lap on the leader and closing down a 3.7-second deficit, Luke was on a charge.

With two laps to go, he was back on the rear bumper of Nakamori. Unfortunately, tyre degradation halted what had been an extraordinary comeback. A brave final-lap lunge around the outside showed intent and determination, but it wasn’t to be.

Luke crossed the line P2, backing up podium finishes in the first two major IAME events of the year — Macau and LYL.

Professional, prepared, and relentless in the face of adversity — it’s clear the breakthrough win is close.

Next stop: Bira, Thailand 🇹🇭 in one month.

🏁 Race Weekend Recap – Round 1 Rotorua 2026 🏁

A huge weekend for Darren Walker competing in the DD2 Masters class at Round 1 of the NZ Rotax Max Challenge in Rotorua.

Heading into the event, Darren faced a new challenge — racing on Mojos D5 tyres for the first time. With limited prior data, tyre pressures quickly became the biggest variable to manage across the weekend.

Utilising our new Remote Data Service, Darren sent through his Friday practice data for overnight analysis. The feedback and insights provided allowed him to roll into qualifying with confidence and a locked-in setup — with tyre pressures being the only adjustment made across the entire meeting.

The results spoke for themselves:

🥈 Qualified P2
🥇 Won every race in DD2 Masters
🏆 Round Winner

Despite the well-known reception challenges at the circuit limiting post-race debriefs, Darren and the team adapted, relied on pre-race data planning, and executed when it counted.

A fantastic result and a great demonstration of how effective remote data analysis can be in delivering performance gains — even when working off-site.

Congratulations Darren on a dominant start to the 2026 campaign! 💪

Round 2 | NAPA NZ Formula Ford Championship 🏁

An up-and-down weekend for , qualifying just 0.070 off pole — a clear sign the pace is well and truly there.

It was a promising round overall, but when the sun came out and the track gripped up, we simply missed the setup window and couldn’t maximise the result. A full weekend where everything comes together is just around the corner.

Encouraging signs everywhere — the speed is there, we just made the wrong call setup-wise this time. Onward and upward.

Strong performance as well from Sam Knight in the Mazda, finishing the round 3rd outright after a P2 and P3 in the heats, and leading for portions of the racing.

On to the next one 💪