Fionn McLaughlin

Fionn McLaughlin
NationalityRepublic of Ireland Irish[1][2][3]
Born (2007-10-29) 29 October 2007 (age 18)
Magherafelt, Northern Ireland
F4 British Championship career
Debut season2025
Current teamHitech TGR
Car number5
Starts30
Wins5
Podiums14
Poles4
Fastest laps8
Best finish1st in 2025
Previous series
2025
2025
F4 British
Formula Winter Series
Championship titles
2025F4 British

Fionn McLaughlin (born 29 October 2007) is an Irish racing driver from Northern Ireland set to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Hitech TGR as part of the Red Bull Junior Team.[4]

McLaughlin graduated to single-seaters in 2025, becoming that year's champion in British F4.[5]

Career

[edit]

Karting (2016–2024)

[edit]

McLaughlin began karting at the age of five, and by the time he was seven he was competing in and winning various championships around Ireland.[6]

In 2019, McLaughlin finished 14th overall in the IAME Cadet class of the British Karting Championships.[7] The following year he competed in both Britain and Europe. In Italy he competed for Dino Chiesa's Kart Republic team.[8]

In 2021, McLaughlin moved up to the junior category, winning at the PF International Kart Circuit[9] and finishing 4th overall in the IAME Euro Series.[10] The following year he came 2nd in the 2022 British IAME Junior X30 Championship[11] and finished 2nd in the IAME world finals held in Le Mans, France.[12][13]

2023

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In 2023, McLaughlin was invited to sign with the professional karting team, Kart Republic, racing as part of the VDK Team, based in Belgium. He would compete in the CIK-FIA European Championship finishing 7th[14] overall in the Championship.

In 2023, McLaughlin would also compete in the FIA World Karting championship claiming pole position in his group.[15][16] He would also claim three heat wins across the weekend[17] narrowly missing out on winning[18] the final due to an engine failure. In the same year Fionn claimed 4th[19] position in the Iame X30 European championships. Fionn would also compete at the IAME world games in Portimão, Portugal claiming 5th position.

He won the Champions of the Future Academy Program race in Abu Dhabi.

2024

[edit]

In 2024, McLaughlin competed in the CIK-FIA European Karting Championship and the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, finishing 6th overall in both.

McLaughlin claimed 3rd overall in the OK Champions of the Future Euro Series,[20] claiming a race win in the 4th round of the championship, which took place in Kristianstad. He would also claim 2nd place overall in the X30 IAME Euro Series.[21][22]

Formula 4 (2025)

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Following a shootout in Formula 4 and GP3 cars between 11 invited drivers at Jerez in August 2024, McLaughlin was chosen to be a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.[13][23] McLaughlin competed in both in the Formula Winter Series[24] and the F4 British Championship with Hitech TGR.[25][26]

McLaughlin finished his debut campaign in the Formula Winter Series as rookie champion and 3rd in the overall championship.[27]

Mclaughlin won the 2025 British Formula 4 Championship driving for Hitech by 52.5 points taking 5 wins across the season. He also won the rookie championship by 200.5 points.

Formula 3 (2026)

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In 2026, McLaughlin will step up to Formula 3 with Hitech TGR, partnering Michael Shin and Jin Nakamura.[28]

Karting record

[edit]

Karting career summary

[edit]
Season Series Team (s) Position
2016 Tullyallen Championship — Honda Cadet MCL Racing 1st
Ulster Cup Championship — Honda Cadet 3rd
2017 LGM Series — IAME Cadet Strawberry Racing 35th
2018 LGM Series — IAME Cadet Strawberry Racing 23rd
2019 Kartmasters British Grand Prix — IAME Cadet Strawberry Racing 18th
British Championships — IAME Cadet 14th
2020 Trofeo Andrea Margutti — 60 Mini Team Driver Racing Kart 8th
Kartmasters British Grand Prix — IAME Cadet Fusion Motorsport 2nd
IAME Euro Series — X30 Junior 5th
2021 IAME Winter Cup — X30 Junior Fusion Motorsport 4th
British Championships — X30 Junior 8th
2022 IAME Winter Cup — X30 Senior Fusion Motorsport 23rd
LGM Series — X30 Junior 28th
Kartmasters British Grand Prix — X30 Junior 6th
British Championships — X30 Junior 2nd
IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior 18th
IAME Warriors Final — X30 Junior 2nd
2023 IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior VDK Racing 4th
CIK-FIA European ChampionshipOK 7th
CIK-FIA World ChampionshipOK 19th
Champions of the FutureOK 16th
IAME World Finals — X30 Senior 5th
2024 IAME Winter Cup — X30 Senior VDK Racing 34th
CIK-FIA European ChampionshipOK 6th
CIK-FIA World ChampionshipOK 6th
Champions of the FutureOK 3rd
IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior 2nd

Racing record

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Racing career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2025 Formula Winter Series Hitech TGR 12 3 0 1 6 151 3rd
F4 British Championship 30 5 3 8 14 363.5 1st
FIA F4 World Cup 0 0 0 0 0 N/A TBD
2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship Hitech TGR 0 0 0 0 0 0 TBD

Complete Formula Winter Series results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points
2025 Hitech TGR POR
1

5
POR
2

23
POR
3

1
CRT
1

7
CRT
2

8
CRT
3

8
ARA
1

3
ARA
2

1
ARA
3

1
CAT
1

2
CAT
2

2
CAT
3

24
3rd 151

Complete F4 British Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 DC Points
2025 Hitech TGR DPN
1

2
DPN
2

91
DPN
3

2
SILGP
1

2
SILGP
2

15
SILGP
3

3
SNE
1

18
SNE
2

83
SNE
3

1
THR
1

4
THR
2

45
THR
3

8
OUL
1

1
OUL
2

74
OUL
3

6
SILGP
1

3
SILGP
2

Ret
ZAN
1

2
ZAN
2

75
ZAN
3

1
KNO
1

1
KNO
2

10
KNO
3

Ret
DPGP
1

2
DPGP
2

Ret
DPGP
3

5
SILN
1

1
SILN
2

Ret
SILN
3

2
BHGP
1

2
BHGP
2

35
BHGP
3

4
1st 363.5

Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points
2026 Hitech TGR MEL
SPR

MEL
FEA

BHR
SPR

BHR
FEA

MON
SPR

MON
FEA

CAT
SPR

CAT
FEA

RBR
SPR

RBR
FEA

SIL
SPR

SIL
FEA

SPA
SPR

SPA
FEA

HUN
SPR

HUN
FEA

MNZ
SPR

MNZ
FEA

MAD
SPR

MAD
FEA

TBD TBD

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Fionn McLaughlin – Red Bull Junior Team". Red Bull Junior Team. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  2. ^ "Fionn McLaughlin". Driver Database. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  3. ^ "F4 British Championship – Drivers". FIA Formula 4 British Championship. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Fionn McLaughlin – Red Bull Junior Team". Red Bull Junior Team. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  5. ^ "F4 British Championship – Drivers". FIA Formula 4 British Championship. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  6. ^ "F4 British Championship – Fionn McLaughlin". FIA Formula 4 British Championship. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Championship Standings". Motorsport Timing UK. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  8. ^ Savage, Claire (29 December 2020). "Teen karting star hoping to follow in slipstream of Lewis Hamilton". Belfast Live. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  9. ^ McMullan, Michael (6 September 2021). "Top spot on the podium for Magherafelt's Fionn McLaughlin". www.derrynow.com. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  10. ^ "IAME Euro Series 2021 - Genk Results". www.apex-timing.com. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Championship Standings 2022". British Kart Championships. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Giltaire & Stilp, X30 Winners at IAME World Final". Kart Sport News. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b "NI driver, 16, to be part of Red Bull Academy". BBC. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  14. ^ "2023 FIA Karting European Championship Standings". FIA Karting. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing – KR – IAME) FIA Karting World Championship OK 2023 Franciacorta". Youtube. TKART. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.[unreliable source?]
  16. ^ "FIA Karting - World Championship Qualifying in Franciacorta gets off to a flying start". FIA. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  17. ^ "FIA Karting - Tough battles in the Qualifying Heats at Franciacorta". FIA. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  18. ^ "2023 FIA Karting European Championship Standings". FIA Karting. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Euro Series Round 4" (PDF). Iame Euro Series. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Champions Of The Future" (PDF). Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Iame Euro Series" (PDF).
  22. ^ Wood, Ida (25 August 2024). "New Red Bull junior McLaughlin denied karting title in dramatic final". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  23. ^ Wood, Ida (7 August 2024). "Red Bull signs karters Scott Lindblom and Fionn McLaughlin as juniors". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  24. ^ Hilgenberg, Mart (4 November 2024). "FWS: Hitech GP announces Formula Winter Series debut". Winter Series by GEDLICH Racing. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  25. ^ "McLaughlin to British F4". Hi-Tech GP. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  26. ^ Wood, Ida (13 November 2024). "Red Bull junior Fionn McLaughlin joins Hitech for karts to cars switch". Formula Scout. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  27. ^ McLaughlin, Fionn. "Formula Winter series". Derry Now. Derry Now. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  28. ^ "Hitech TGR finalise 2026 lineup with Fionn McLaughlin". FIA_Formula 3® - The Official F3® Website. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
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