Fionn McLaughlin
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| Fionn McLaughlin | |
|---|---|
 McLaughlin at the FIA Karting World Championships in England, 2024 | |
| Nationality |  Irish |
| Born | 29 October 2007 Magherafelt, Northern Ireland |
| F4 British Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2025 |
| Current team | Hitech Pulse-Eight |
| Starts | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
Fionn McLaughlin (Irish: Fionn Mac Lochlainn; born 29 October 2007) is an Irish racing driver, who is set to compete in the F4 British Championship in 2025 for Hitech Pulse-Eight.
He is a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Career
[edit]Karting career
[edit]McLaughlin began his karting career at the age of five in the Bambino category. By ages seven and eight, he was competing and winning in various championships throughout Ireland, earning multiple race wins. At age nine, he progressed to compete in the (cadet class 9-12 years old) British Karting Championships for Tony Kart Strawberry Racing Team.
At age ten, McLaughlin continued in the cadet UK British Karting Championships, breaking into the top ten drivers and contributing to chassis development.
In 2019, aged 11, McLaughlin, in his 3rd year at the British Karting Championships, he would place in the top 10 across multiple race weekends and finish 14th overall in the championship.[1]
In his final year in the cadet class in 2020, McLaughlin claimed multiple race victories and finished in the top three in various British Karting Championships.[2]
Aged 13, McLaughlin moved up to the junior category racing in the British Karting Championships and the Iame Euro Series. He would go on to claim four podium finishes in the British[3] & European Championships, finishing 4th[4] overall in the IAME Euro Series championship in his first year in this category.
In 2022, at the age of 14, McLaughlin would complete his final year racing in the UK claiming Vice Champion[5] in the British Karting Championships & International British O Plate Championship. He would also claim Vice Champion[6] at the IAME world finals held in Le Mans, France.[7]
2023
[edit]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 become the first Irish driver in history to compete in the CIK-FIA European Championship finishing 7th[8] overall in the Championship.
In 2023, McLaughlin would also compete in the FIA World Karting championship claiming pole position in his group.[9][10] He would also claim three heat wins across the weekend[11] narrowly missing out on winning[12] the final due to an engine failure. In the same year Fionn claimed 4th[13] 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 FIA Academy Champions of the Future race in Abu Dhabi, finishing first with a significant lead.
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,[14] 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.[15][16]
Formula 4
[edit]For 2025, McLaughlin is set to compete both in the F4 Spanish Winter Championship and the F4 British Championship with Hitech Pulse-Eight.[17][18]
Formula One
[edit]In August 2024, McLaughlin became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.[7][19]
Karting record
[edit]| Season | Series | Team (s) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Tullyallen Karting 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 Karting 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 Karting 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 Karting 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 Championship — OK | 7th | ||
| CIK-FIA World Championship — OK | 19th | ||
| Champions of the Future — OK | 16th | ||
| IAME World Finals — X30 Senior | 5th | ||
| 2024 | IAME Winter Cup — X30 Senior | VDK Racing | 34th |
| CIK-FIA European Championship — OK | 6th | ||
| CIK-FIA World Championship — OK | 6th | ||
| Champions of the Future — OK | 3rd | ||
| IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior | 2nd |
Racing record
[edit]Career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | F4 British Championship | Hitech Pulse-Eight |
References
[edit]- ^ "Championship Standings". Motorsport Timing UK. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ Savage, Claire (29 December 2020). "Teen karting star hoping to follow in slipstream of Lewis Hamilton". Belfast Live. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ McMullan, Michael (6 September 2021). "Top spot on the podium for Magherafelt's Fionn McLaughlin". www.derrynow.com. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "IAME EURO SERIES 2021 - Genk Results". www.apex-timing.com. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "Championship Standings 2022". British Kart Championships. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Giltaire & Stilp, X30 Winners at IAME World Final". Kart Sport News. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b "NI driver, 16, to be part of Red Bull Academy". BBC. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "2023 FIA Karting European Championship Standings". FIA Karting. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing – KR – IAME) FIA Karting World Championship OK 2023 Franciacorta". Youtube. TKART. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "FIA Karting - World Championship Qualifying in Franciacorta gets off to a flying start". FIA. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "FIA Karting - Tough battles in the Qualifying Heats at Franciacorta". FIA. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "2023 FIA Karting European Championship Standings". FIA Karting. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Euro Series Round 4" (PDF). Iame Euro Series. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Champions Of The Future" (PDF). Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Iame Euro Series" (PDF).
- ^ Wood, Ida (25 August 2024). "New Red Bull junior McLaughlin denied karting title in dramatic final". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "McLaughlin to British F4". Hi-Tech GP. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ Wood, Ida (13 November 2024). "Red Bull junior Fionn McLaughlin joins Hitech for karts to cars switch". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Wood, Ida (7 August 2024). "Red Bull signs karters Scott Lindblom and Fionn McLaughlin as juniors". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 November 2024.