Co Derry Red Bull Junior driver set to race live on Sky Sports from Silverstone this weekend
Advertisement
For the first time ever, Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, and British F4 will all be featured at Silverstone on the same weekend – with McLaughlin and his fellow F4 drivers sharing the circuit with the sport's top-tier competitors and racing in front of tens of thousands at the track and millions more tuning in from home.
Fans will get their first chance to watch McLaughlin on TV, with both of his races being aired live on Sky Sports:
READ MORE: Andy Murray opens up about split from wife Kim as he makes honest confession
READ MORE: Conor Bradley lost for words following death of 'incredible person' Diogo Jota
Advertisement
British F4 Race Schedule (Sky Sports Broadcast) - Race 1: Saturday, July 5 – 16:45 on Sky Sports Mix; Race 2: Sunday, July 6 – 08:20 on Sky Sports F1.
In his debut British F4 season, McLaughlin has already made a significant impact on the grid.
He secured his first race win at Snetterton earlier this year and currently tops the British F4 Championship and Rookie Cup standings, demonstrating the speed and calmness that led to his selection for the Red Bull Junior Driver Team in 2024.
The Magherafelt native is part of a new wave of Irish talent making a splash in international motorsport – closely following Alex Dunne, who made headlines last weekend after getting behind the wheel of an F1 car for the very first time.
Advertisement
McLaughlin was chosen for the Red Bull Junior Team after an impressive performance at the Red Bull Driver Search in Jerez, Spain – the same programme that kick-started the careers of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo.
Both of this weekend's races will also be broadcast live on the official British F4 YouTube channel.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
22 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Honda Chief Sheds Light on Red Bull's Alleged Plans to Replace Yuki Tsunoda
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) president Koji Watanabe has opened up about rumors of Red Bull Racing parting ways with Yuki Tsunoda during the Formula One summer break next month. Watanabe addressed the topic after discussions with Red Bull during the British Grand Prix weekend. Honda has backed Tsunoda's racing career extensively. The Japanese automaker is also Red Bull's current power unit supplier, a relationship that reportedly influenced Tsunoda's promotion to Red Bull in March. Watanabe met Tsunoda at Silverstone and addressed concerns surrounding his performance. The 25-year-old driver has been struggling to adapt to Red Bull's RB21 F1 car. This also affected Liam Lawson in the first two Grands Prix of 2025, eventually leading to his demotion to junior F1 team Racing Bulls. Tsunoda is placed 17th in the Drivers' Standings, having scored points in just three Grands Prix out of twelve thus far. At Silverstone, Tsunoda finished P15. His teammate Max Verstappen has also been struggling to win races, and Red Bull's push to enhance the RB21's performance has yielded little success. Watanabe was asked about Tsunoda's performance in an interview. Revealing his opinion, he said: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2025 in Spielberg,... Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. More"Looking at the results from the outside, my honest impression is that they are struggling more than we expected. However, after keeping in contact with Yuki and listening to him, it seems that he is taking a more positive view than we thought. "If the car's fighting power can be improved and they can seize the opportunity, I believe they can still do well. To that end, we at HRC will continue to provide them with our full support going forward as always." [Translated by Google] The HRC president was then asked about rumors of Tsunoda's potential replacement during the summer break next month. Watanabe revealed that no such talks were held with Red Bull before confirming that Tsunoda will race for the Milton Keynes-based team until the end of the 2025 season. He said: "First of all, there has been no discussion about switching over during the summer break. In the first place, in the discussions with Red Bull in March, we agreed to transfer Yuki to Red Bull by saying, 'Just because his performance is a little poor, we will not start discussions about switching over right away, but will take a long-term view.' "So, I don't think he will be switched over during the summer break. I know there are various rumors, but I confirmed with the team at Silverstone, where the British Grand Prix was held, and I would like to make it clear that, basically, Yuki will race for Red Bull until the end of this season. "I think that is also a reflection of Red Bull's high expectations for Yuki. Those expectations have not changed, and if he can achieve results somewhere in the second half of the season, I think that will expand his possibilities for the future." [Translated by Google] Related: Red Bull to Part Ways With Yuki Tsunoda After 2025 Season: Report
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why the British and Irish Lions' uncertain future could be bad news for Australia
A British and Irish Lions tour is sold, principally, on history and mystery. Anachronistic in its very concept, the actions and anecdotes of trips of yesteryear are woven into the rich red fabric adorning the current crop, links with the century and a half of touring parties evident at every moment before, during and after each squad's assembly. The cultural capital of the Lions is vast and trades, primarily, on that which has gone before – each trip bringing with it a chance to stir the nostalgic senses with a retrospective look. The mystery is inherent: how will a squad drawn at short notice handle the pressure of coming together to take on a big southern hemisphere beast? Yet, even the great bastions of heritage and history must eventually become forward-looking. A corporate and commercial behemoth in a sport lacking in that sort of commodity, this may be a time of great change for the British and Irish Lions as bigwigs look ahead to a future that feels more uncertain than usual. Which is not to suggest that the Lions are in any kind of jeopardy. The strength of the brand ensures that the concept is surely safeguarded for the foreseeable future. But for the first time in recent memory, it feels like the concept itself could be tweaked. Already, of course, there is a women's tour on the way, the exact details still to be confirmed for the 2027 trip to New Zealand. The planning of the trip is well underway, even if there are plenty within the game who question whether the sport is ready for such a venture. That will precede a men's trip to take on the All Blacks two years later. Red letter games: The British and Irish Lions are one of rugby's biggest brands (Getty) But speculation otherwise abounds, and there is no guarantee that the traditional quadrennial cycles remain intact. While the Lions' touring history stretches back to 188, the actual lineage of the now familiar format is not that long – it was only in 1989 that the tourists first travelled solely to Australia, and only in 1997 that the South Africa/Australia/New Zealand rotation was fully established after the fall of the apartheid regime. The idea of taking a tour to France, which would represent a radical rethink, will not go away. Discussions have begun over possible pre-tour meetings in 2027 and 2029, while former Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson recently told The Times that it would be 'insane' not to organise a full trip and itinerary. Such an idea would be glorious fun, with the fire and fervour of the French fans sure to cancel out the sea of red, and the depth of the sport in the country ready to provide compelling contests throughout the tour. A Lions tour would probably land well in a nation where club rugby is often king. It is a personal view, however, that a trip to a less far-flung shore would have a rather different and likely inferior feel, though providing greater accessibility to a wider spectrum of supporters would be welcome. Equally, those who criticise the Lions as being Anglocentric or imperialistic would relish a broadening of the borders; the performance and passion shown by Argentina in their two pre-tour encounters in the last two decades show that a return for the Pumas to the touring schedule more regularly would be embraced. Equally, the development of Pacific Island nations, Japan and others could be aided – it feels something of a misstep that Fiji, particularly, were not an opponent on this trip. An already congested calendar has limited room for expansion, though, which means that one of the traditional touring locations would surely have to be squeezed. For various reasons, it feels unlikely that New Zealand or South Africa would be under threat; Australia, by contrast, feel almost interminably imperilled in the modern landscape, and this has not necessarily been a buoyant start. The failure to release Wallabies to already under-powered Super Rugby Pacific sides has led to tour games generally won with a degree of comfort by the Lions, even amid plenty of errors. Australia may need a strong series to prove they remain worthy opponents of the Lions (AP) This should be a time of prosperity and promise for the Wallabies as they gear up for a home World Cup in two years' time, and yet the alarm bells still ring. Financial pressures on the unions have eased slightly – aided by this Lions trip – but it is not long since the Melbourne Rebels were lost as an entity, while rugby union is ever more marginalised by the popularity of the NRL and AFL. The truth is that the opening skirmishes of this Lions tour barely made a dent in the sporting psyche; that will change once the Tests are underway a bit, but union generally has to be content to play second or third fiddle. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii swapped rugby league for union – but most go the other way in Australia (Getty) Within that comes a talent drain – the (expensive) luring of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a mere breath into a prevailing wind that blows young talent to league from union. Amid that, there are nonetheless intriguing reports of NRL superstar Kalyn Ponga hiring an agent in union to keep his options open – though it would be an All Blacks call that the son of Kiwi parents would covet. Next summer will see South Africa and New Zealand tussle in a traditional tour of their own kind, expected to be sold on the strength of their rivalry as the Rugby Championship is ripped up in the name of bringing together two of the sport's fiercest foes in an encounter of greater meaning. What this means for Australia and Argentina is still somewhat unclear, but with the death of the traditional summer tour for the European nations with the advent of the Nations Cup in 2026, the established rugby calendar will certainly start to look rather different. It all makes this a rather opportune moment for the Wallabies to prove a few doubters wrong. By ranking and recent record, they are the poorest of the Lions' opponents of the modern era but never doubt the capacity of an Australian sporting side to rise to the occasion.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Argentina spoil Lions' leaving party as tour begins with defeat in Dublin
Perhaps the British and Irish Lions will stop inviting Argentina to their pre-tour party. 20 years on from a narrow escape and dispiriting draw kicked things off with a whimper in Cardiff for the 2005 vintage, the current crop were beaten as the Pumas had their day in Dublin. The result here, of course, is only a mere piece of a wider puzzle that Andy Farrell and his stuff will put together as they gear up for the three Tests against the Wallabies but an opening-game defeat is unique this century; to term this game portentous for the tour as a whole would be perhaps to overplay it but the Lions have set off on the wrong foot. With a cough and a splutter, then, the steamer is sailing on its slow journey to Australia. There were plenty of good bits in a spritely performance to excite Farrell but plenty also for him to chew over as the travelling party navigate south. A surprisingly bruising affair will leave a few tourists taking bruises and balms through security at Dublin Airport tomorrow, though the head coach did not fear any major injuries. A faulty lineout, a few curious kicks and some anticipated handling errors on a sweaty night were other possible bugbears, though there is plenty of time to touch up certain areas before the more consequential business to end the tour. That said, this was a true test if not a true Test, the intensity shown by both sides befitting a fully-fledged fixture rather than the warm-up affair it may come to be known as in retrospect. If, for some, games like this are sacrosanct to the Lions idea – the concept of a touring team perhaps betrayed by them now playing so regularly on home soil – there could be no doubting that this was some occasion, scarlet stands right around the Aviva Stadium with the sea of red flooding Dublin. They were treated to a cracker of a contest, settled in some style by a sparkling score from Santiago Carreras and a performance from fly half Tomas Albornoz to bedazzle any occasion. As if in ruby slippers, the left-footed Argentina No 10 patrolled, controlled and sashayed with his own dancing feet. The Lions would have been happy enough with large parts of their showing yet their opponents were far from undeserving victors. After months and months of speculation, how welcome to at last have actual action to analyse. These opening fixtures of the tour are rarely classics, the Lions still familiarising themselves one another, still translating the texts to become sacred come the Tests. A slightly shaky start is to be, somewhat, expected given the uniqueness of the enterprise, the melding and moulding only just underway. Yet there had been a different feel about the 2025 crop, as rugby-focussed a group as any Lions assembly in recent memory. This selection had rather chosen itself given the significant crop involved in finals last weekend and thus, perfectly rightly, not risked, but there was still plenty of intrigue in Farrell's line-up, from a backline built to bludgeon to a locking combo that may end up back stoking the fires in the engine room come Test-time. Farrell will have confidence that there are a few more cylinders still to fire but this was a bright enough performance in many ways, with plenty of invention and ingenuity on show in their attacking play. It appeared the Friday night mass would have reason to roar inside eight minutes when Luke Cowan-Dickie showed serious strength to thrash to the line from a back of a maul, but the hooker's hands were imprecise, fumbling as he attempted to ground awkwardly over his shoulder. Instead, there were muffled boos as Maro Itoje pointed to the posts; Fin Smith nonetheless replied to Albornoz's early penalty. The Lions had shown early glimpses of their attacking talent but the Pumas claws were just as sharp. A wonderful Albornoz pass, singeing Lucio Cinti's midriff as it fizzed into the hands of Santiago Carreras beyond, set up a deft finish from Ignacio Mendy, before the Lions has a seconds score chalked off, this time for an Alex Mitchell knock-on in a tangle of limbs before Sione Tuipulotu collected. It was, however, third time lucky as an undeniable Bundee Aki bashed through. Two more pings from the impressive Albornoz's cultured left boot nonetheless left the Pumas in front before the fly half finished off something rather more telling. With the Lions searching for a strike before the interval down the left, the ball popped free and Argentina swarmed, Rodrigo Isgro and Carreras willing couriers before their 10 romped home to complete a special delivery. An 11-point lead felt vital given the callowness of Argentina's bench – but that advantage, and their resources on the pitch, were soon eroded as prop Mayco Vivas cynically inserted himself from the side to halt a driving maul a metre from the line. The temptation would be to say that Vivas's absence proved key as the Lions struck again quickly, though had his opposite number been on the pitch, Ellis Genge might have run over him two. Three or four would-be tacklers were scattered by a cannonball charge from the Lions loosehead, setting up the position from which Tadhg Beirne could knife in. The South Americans were not, however, going to go away. Albornoz may lack the profile of some other sporting Argentine No 10s but he is increasingly making the shirt his own, and sparked another spectacular with a delicate dummy as Santiago Cordero applied the finishing touches. Up went the volume as the Lions reinforcements arrived, Henry Pollock, Mack Hansen and Tadhg Furlong all on to escalating cheers; the introduction of Pierre Schoeman bringing a familiar Scottish battle cry. Argentina raised the ramparts for a last stand as Elliot Daly found the corner, and the Lions soon erred, a Beirne neck roll scuppering a penalty under the posts with the margin four points. So it would remain.