Irish motorsport will reach a significant milestone this March as two Irish drivers compete on the opening weekend of the international single-seater season at Albert Park in Melbourne, host of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Fionn McLaughlin begins his 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship campaign from March 6th to 8th as part of the official support programme to Formula 1. VIP Magazine get to catch up with him just hours after he lands in Australia ahead of his time on the track. It’s been a bit of a longer journey than he expected, but he’s safely settled in ahead of his debut.
The Red Bull-backed driver claimed the Sexton Trophy, Young Racing Driver of the Year award, and secured the FIA British Formula 4 Championship title in his rookie season. He now holds one of only 30 FIA Formula 3 seats worldwide heading into 2026, carrying strong momentum and growing international recognition.
Here we speak to the Magherafelt man ahead of the weekend…
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Hey Fionn! Glad to see you landed in Australia safely.
It was a bit of chaos, but we are here now, and hopefully everything is alright on that side of the world. We just went through America to get here in time, so everything has been okay.
You’re making your Formula 3 debut this weekend. What does it mean for you to finally make it to the series?
It’s amazing to be here. I have an opportunity that most people don’t get, so I am going to make the most of it. To get here has been difficult, and I will be working as hard as I can to be even better. I just can’t wait to get started.
Talk to us about getting started behind the wheel.
I started in Ireland; my dad did it before me, and that’s where it came from. I got the opportunity to do it at a young age and I went on from there. I just did it for fun and ended up doing really well, then moved from Ireland to the UK, and started to do good there. Then I moved to European racing, and it became a job that I wanted to do and a future I wanted to have. N ow I just really want to continue this journey on and do it for the future.
Ireland isn’t represented in this type of motorsport as other countries are. It’s really just you and Alex Dunne flying the Irish flag at the minute. Do you feel pressure because of that?
Ah no! I put pressure on myself when I need to, but I just do it for me and no one else. That’s why I do it because I love it. I am not just going to be here; I am going to be even more moving forward in the future. I am going to be an F1 driver and a world champion is the goal. It’s been tough, but there is no pressure on me. I am here because I love it, and that pressure hasn’t started yet, but we will see how the season goes, and it will be a tough one.
Tell us about the mindset you have to get in before getting into the car. You have to be a bit tapped to hop in a car and go 300km/h!
[Laughs] For sure, you have to be a bit messed up, we aren’t normal! I suppose you have to stay very composed, and there are many ways that you just have to use what’s in your brain. We all just have a lot of adrenaline, and it’s hard to explain how we feel, but it’s very natural how we do things and you do have to be calm in certain situations. There is strength and impact, and moments where you need to keep calm because if you don’t, you will lose your mind. Then there are moments where it’s all easy, and it’s going to be fine, and there will be times where you need to stay calm. Over time, I have got used to it and it’s become natural and I do things now without trying. That work is behind the scenes on how I can be as quick as I can, and driving-wise, it’s all based on hard work and talent, and that’s how we become better and translate that to the track to show the results.
Talk to us about your racing heroes.
My racing hero is Sebastian Vettel, but he doesn’t race anymore. I looked up to him when I was younger and still do, and to see someone win that many races is special to watch and how well he did. I like who Max Verstappen is as a person and it’s good to learn from people like that. For sure, I want to be like that one day. They were me once, and they had to do the same thing. You don’t look up to these people like they are gods; I look up to them like they are me, and hopefully someday I’ll be racing against them.
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What advice would you give your younger self?
I wish I could have been a bit more confident in myself, taken more risks and been more hardworking when I was younger. There are a lot of things I could have won when I was younger, but I didn’t. I just need to be more confident in myself, and I think self-belief is the most important thing. If you don’t have that, then you won’t go anywhere in your career.
There are only 30 positions in F3, so what an achievement to get there. What has been a pinch-me moment for you?
It’s amazing for sure, and I haven’t made it yet, but I am moving in the right direction, to see myself in the F1 grade is amazing. It feels natural to me and where I am supposed to be and where I will be for the next few years. I’ll be working towards F1, and eight-year-old me would be looking up to me right now, and that is quite nice to say.
Before we let you go, what are you most excited for this weekend?
Just to race, I love racing, and just to get out for my first race in F3 will be very cool!