Magherafelt teenager Fionn McLaughlin has landed an opportunity of a lifetime having been added to the Red Bull Junior Driver Team following an extensive evaluation process in Spain.
The 16-year-old, who has competed since the age of five and was one of 11 invited candidates from around the world from countries including France, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico and Lebanon, was among the first drivers selected from the programme alongside Sweden’s Scott Lindblom.
That means McLaughlin will have the chance to embark on the same trajectory as racing megastar and three-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jnr and Daniel Ricciardo.
McLaughlin started out in karting and rose to prominence with Championship victories around the island of Ireland at just seven-years-old, going on to taste victory in the British Karting Championships and Iame World Games in 2022 before competing in the FIA Karting World Championship in 2023.
Now, he hopes to rise to a new challenge with Red Bull after taking part in the Driver Search in Jerez, Spain, led by the manufacturer’s respected Head of Driver Development Dr Helmut Marko, and impressing enough to join the programme consisting of nine gifted 15 to 19-year-olds.
The ambitious McLaughlin, who cites another former Red Bull star in four-time F1 Drivers’ champion Sebastian Vettel as his role model in racing, is determined to make the grade and vows he will not stop until he fulfils his dream of being on top of the world.
“My goal in racing is to be a world champion,” he said.
“I never give up and I work hard until I’m at the top. I will keep working until I’m there.”
Northern Ireland was previously represented in Formula One by Eddie Irvine, with the Co Down man competing in 148 races in the elite racing series from 1993 to 2002 for the Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar teams, winning four times.