Latest news with #BritishF4
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
McLaughlin third in F4 as Dunne drops down in F2
Fionn McLaughlin finished in third place in the opening British F4 race at Silverstone, but it was a disappointing day for Formula 2 title contender Alex 17, started in fifth and earned a podium as British F4 supports Formula 1 at the British Grand Prix with a non-points scoring Red Bull Junior driver, from Northern Ireland, leads both the overall and rookie British F4 standings in his first season of car made up two positions on the opening lap to claim a podium in front of the F1 crowd, and he will start on pole position for the second British F4 race at Silverstone at 08:20 race was won by Colombian Salim Hanna and Mercedes junior driver Ethan Jeff-Hall was second. However, it was a disappointing sprint race for Irish driver Dunne in Formula 2. The 19-year-old, who made an impressive Formula 1 practice debut for McLaren in the previous round in Austria, started in eighth place but fell outside the points after a poor then collided with Gabriele Mini on the eighth lap and dropped to the back of the field with a puncture, while the Italian driver was penalised with a 10-second a result of a finish outside the points, Dunne drops to fourth in the championship and is now 25 points behind leader Richard race was won by Italy's Leonardo Fornaroli while Sebastian Montoya and Roman Stanek completed the will start from second place on the grid for the feature race on Sunday morning at 11:05 BST.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Co Derry Red Bull Junior driver set to race live on Sky Sports from Silverstone this weekend
Fionn McLaughlin, the 17-year-old rising star from Co Derry and Red Bull Junior Driver, is set to take on his most significant challenge yet this weekend – with both of his British Formula 4 races being broadcast live on Sky Sports as part of the Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix 2025 coverage. 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.
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Podium for Smiley as McLaughlin retakes title lead
Red Bull Junior driver Fionn McLaughlin reclaimed the lead in the British F4 championship after he won the opening race at Oulton Park. The teenager from Northern Ireland won the first race on Saturday after jumping championship rival Martin Molnar at the start. McLaughlin came into the fifth round of the season behind Molnar in the standings but he reclaimed the championship lead by finishing seventh in race two, while the Hungarian driver retired. In a repeat of the opening race, McLaughlin got past polesitter Molnar heading into the first corner in the final outing of the day and looked set for a dominant vicotry. However, a heavy rain shower caused a number of drivers to slide off the road, including McLaughlin and Molnar, and that allowed Thomas Bearman into the lead. McLaughlin recovered to sixth before a number of safety cars and a red flag halted the race early and half points were awarded. Hitech Racing driver McLaughlin now leads Molnar by 5.5 points ahead of the sixth round of the season in his first year of car racing, McLaughlin also leads the rookie championship by 82.5 points over Bearman, who is the younger brother of Haas Formula 1 driver Ollie. In the British Touring Car Championship, Northern Ireland's Chris Smiley collected his best result of the season by finishing third in race one. The Restart Racing driver qualified second and dropped to fourth on the opening lap, but passed championship leader Ash Sutton on the final lap to take a podium spot. Smiley dropped back to 14th on the slower hard tyre in race two, and an electrical problem forced him to retire from the third and final race of the day. The Carrickfergus driver is ninth in the overall championship and leads the Independent championship after a strong start to the season after five rounds.
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
The next Vettel or Verstappen? Meet Fionn McLaughlin
Max Verstappen. Sebastian Vettel. Carlos Sainz. Daniel Ricciardo. The list of drivers to come through Red Bull Racing's Junior programme is extensive, with race winners and world champions making up eight of the 21 drivers on this year's Formula 1 grid. Now, a teenager from Northern Ireland is hoping to join the ranks of some of Formula 1's biggest names. In his first season of car racing, Red Bull Junior driver Fionn McLaughlin is in title contention in British F4 in his first season of car racing."If I'm in the Red Bull academy and I'm doing a good job, then I think it's realistic. I'm going to work as hard as I can to make it to F1," he told BBC Sport NI about his Formula 1 dreams."Red Bull are giving me the opportunity and I think I have the ability to make it. "If you don't believe in yourself, you won't be able to get anywhere. "When I was six years of age driving around, the thought of being in F4 or F3 was something I never would have thought of. I'm proud to be here and I'll always be grateful for the steps I'm making." 'Helmut Marko said I had potential' Racing is in McLaughlin's DNA. His father, Martin, used to race go karts and he was always at circuits with his dad. While Verstappen is one of the sport's biggest names, it was another four-time F1 world champion who McLaughlin grew up idolising. "My whole life I looked up to Sebastian Vettel, from when I was six. "I thought he was amazing. So, I always had that dream of making it to Formula 1, and with Red Bull. "It's great to be in the academy, and looking forward F1 is my goal. It would be amazing to get there and I'm happy I have this opportunity."McLaughlin had a solid karting career, which had taken him across the UK, Europe and the world. But he had the chance to take his career to the next level when he was invited to a shootout by Red Bull at Jerez last summer, and he beat a number of drivers to be enrolled into the team's junior driving discovered he had been selected when Helmut Marko, Red Bull's often-feared team adviser and head of the company's driver academy, approached him at the end of the test."I was doing well at go karting and had an opportunity from Red Bull. I just tried to do a good job to see where it took me," continued McLaughlin."I was up against six other drivers, it was good competition and there was a bit of pressure. I was able to deliver, and they obviously thought I was decent enough to take me on board for the Junior team. "Helmut Marko came over to me and said, 'I think you're a good driver and I want you on our team'. He said I had potential and would take me on as far as he could in the future. "He's a nice man and he's given me the opportunity to race in F4. It's quite expensive, and he's given me the opportunity." 'I'm a winning driver' With the support of Red Bull, McLaughlin has taken his first steps into car racing. He started with the Formula Winter Series, where he secured three wins and seven Magherafelt teenager then moved into British F4, which has seen the likes of McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, IndyCar star Colton Herta and Formula 2 championship contender Alex has adapted well to the championship, leads the rookie standings and is second in the overall standings after four rounds. "I've found it's not too bad stepping up from go karting. It's different in how you brake, and it's different as it's a tighter space inside the car," McLaughlin added. "It's been a change, but I think I've got used to it quite well and I'm delivering as best as I can. "I'm taking it step by step and it's about the main goal at the end of the year, which is the championship trophy."You have to deliver as quickly as possible in this sport. Being classed as a rookie is good, but I always try to focus on the main championship." McLaughlin is delivering in British F4 and will have the chance to race on the British Grand Prix weekend as the series supports Formula 1 at Silverstone in July. It's a huge opportunity with some of the sport's biggest names watching on and looking for the next stars. "Being a support race on the F1 Silverstone package was unexpected — opportunities like this usually don't come until F3," McLaughlin said."I'm still in F4, so I'm not putting any extra pressure on the event. But the goal remains the same: to win every time I get in the car and winning on the world stage would be something special."After being given the chance to progress his career by Red Bull, McLaughlin admits there is pressure to deliver if he is to achieve his dream to making it to F1. "I always have high expectations of winning, but I just try and believe in my ability, McLaughlin added. "I try not to look too much into the future, I take it step by step. For me, it's important to do a good job at where I'm at now, and believe in what I can do. "You have to keep getting results, because if you're not doing a good job you're not going to be able to take the next step."McLaughlin says "pressure has always been a thing" but that is something he thrives under. "Obviously it can be tough as you need the results but that's my job and that's what I want. "I want to be a winner. Red Bull are a winning team, I'm a winning driver so we work well with each other."
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Formula One's humble hero: How McLaren star Oscar Piastri credits staying down to earth to his childhood sweetheart Lily Zneimer after pair met at boarding school
Since its conception, Formula 1 has been a hotbed for playboys, where daring racers dice with death and their latest model girlfriends look on from the sidelines. But their latest championship leader, Oscar Piastri, has won a legion of fans with a humble, calm approach to the sport as he has overtaken his teammate Lando Norris as the lead car of dominant McLaren. Still just 24, he has won more than half of this year's races - and credits staying down to earth to his childhood sweetheart, who he met while boarding at a Hertfordshire private school. Engineering graduate Lily Zneimer, who Oscar has been dating since their lower sixth year, has remained a quiet figure at his side as she accompanies him to races across the globe. She has no open social media presence and instead choses to show her support through loving touches to her outfits - playfully adding keyrings showing her boyfriend to her bag and wearing a custom t-shirts bedazzled with his number. In news posts by their former school Haileybury, which charges nearly £57,000 a year for senior boarders and counts Sir Stirling Moss as an alumnus, fans have spotted a sweet insight into their relationship. In one titled 'Best Ever GCSE Results', which went up just a year before they started dating, Lily can be seen wide-eyed and grinning as she holds up her results - a perfect nine A*s. Another - from the year before - congratulates 'talented racing driver' Oscar for securing his maiden victory in British F4. But in fact while at the Hertfordshire school he only managed a 35 per cent attendance rate as he juggled work with his burgeoning racing career - and only made the 3rds for his school sports teams. In the end his A-Levels were cancelled by the Pandemic, meaning his grades were based on his work over the last two years - including days where he 'flew to Monaco like 2 a.m. after an exam'. He told the Athletic: 'Maybe my results could have been a bit better if I took the exams, but it actually made things much more convenient because my exams were supposed to be basically through the middle of my F3 season.' It is a testament to his temperament that pundits have joked about Oscar being a swot, far removed from his vibrant teammate Norris. He tends to shy away from the post-party celebrations that saw his fellow McLaren driver turn up to his maiden victory with a plaster on his nose. Joking on the Chequered Flag podcast, BBC commentator Harry Benjamin laughed: 'Oscar is the type of person who, at school, he would have had all his exercise books and his pencils out in a row, and he would be doing his homework diligently - that is the impression I have of him! 'He's meticulous and serious and it is like there is a reluctance to let that excitement get the better of him. He is keeping it all under control and who can say that's a bad move? It seems to work for him.' And Oscar's old teachers are quick to agree - with the head of sport saying he was 'meticulous' as he managed to balance 'impressive' academic achievements with his sports success. Andy Searson said: 'Oscar was a terrific student in and out of the Haileybury classroom. 'Joining Haileybury UK in Year 10 from Melbourne, Oscar never demonstrated anything other than exemplary humility and remarkable composure throughout his four years at Haileybury. 'A charming young man and a passionate cricket fan, he was a dedicated member of the 3rd XI cricket team, he himself capable of bowling a heavy ball with an intimidating run-up! 'As well as playing cricket himself, he would relish such opportunities granted in the boarding school environment as gathering with his peers around the television to watch Ashes cricket battles in the winter months. 'Oscar was meticulous with his time management, coping admirably with his impressive academic work whilst simultaneously excelling on the global go-karting and formula 4 circuits, and regularly training at Silverstone. He was, and is, quite the role model and we are very proud of him.' Looking back at the start of his career, Haileybury's Master, Eugene du Toit, added: 'We are so proud of what Oscar has achieved, and it has been a pleasure to celebrate his success.' It was while in his third year at Haileybury that Oscar started dating Lily, having moved from Australia to the UK to pursue his racing dream. 'I met my girlfriend at school, we must have been 17,' he told the Eff Won podcast in December 2023 - joking that she would 'kill me if I get this wrong'. 'The second last year of school we became a couple and we've been together ever since so it's been nice to have someone there from the start still with me. 'It's been fun, it's been good. I wouldn't change it, so I'm enjoying it.' He continued: 'We keep it private, not secretive like some relationships are but we keep it to ourselves. 'We try to be out of the spotlight and just live normal lives.' Lily is said to keep him grounded, teaching him to cook in between races - and is often spotted in the paddock with a laptop in hand. An engineering graduate, she is said to love to be hoping to get into F1 herself - albeit from the technical side. 'Oscar introduced me to the British student in the paddock at the 2022 Australian GP when he was the Alpine reserve driver, Australian photographer Kym Illman said in 2023. Oscar shot to surprising fame in 2022 - dramatically shunning an Alpine seat after they announced he would be driving for them the following year 'She's polite, quiet, classy and by the time you watch this, has probably graduated with a degree in engineering. 'She wants to get a job in F1 and with her contacts you'd have to say she rates a pretty strong chance. They are a delightful couple.' Lily is understood to want to keep a low profile, but shows off her support for her boyfriend in understated displays of affection. In one shot, she pinned a badge showing his helmet to her handbag while in another she wore a custom beaded McLaren top complete with Oscar's number. Her family, coaching consultant Jonathan and project manager Elizabeth, both proudly repost Oscar's achievements and photos of him with Lily on social media. Speaking at their suburban family home outside St Albans, her mother politely declined to be interviewed - but said she was 'very proud' of both Lily and Oscar. Their sweet relationship marks a refreshing diversion from the scandalous lives of others on the grid. British teenage sensation Oliver Bearman hit the headlines last year after he was reported to be involved in a love triangle with new Alpine driver Franco Colapinto over influencer Estelle Ogilvy. Norris last year admitted he has 'many' girlfriends, and has been linked with the likes of Portuguese and actress Margarida Corceiro, following her split from ex-Chelsea star Joao Felix. In 2022 he reportedly messaged a mystery Dutch model and invited her on a McDonalds date, following his split from fellow Portuguese model Luisinha Oliveira - romantically saying: 'I'm single now', before adding: 'Ordering McDonald's come join.' Norris is now said to have gone official with Margarida Corceiro, a 22-year-old Portuguese actress, model and influencer, and the loved-up pair were seen celebrating big win together at the Monaco Grand Prix. And Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a number of high-profile relationships - including an on/off relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger which went on for seven years, Nicki Minaj, Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora and Shakira. He was most recently linked to Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, although that reportedly ended in March. Oscar shot to surprising fame in 2022 - dramatically shunning an Alpine seat after they announced he would be driving for them the following year. Then just 21, he posted: 'I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. 'This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.' He instead signed with McLaren - a move supposedly wrangled by his manager, the former Aussie F1 star Mark Webber. In Miami he became the first McLaren driver to win three consecutive Grands Prix since Mika Hakkinen in 1997, as he leads the championship by 16 points. Originally hailing from Melbourne, his engineering entrepreneur father Chris co-owns HP Tuners, an elite automotive software company said to have an annual turnover of more than $40million. He started off by racing remote-controlled cars, beating 30-year-old men in competitions when he was just six. Oscar's parents both came from families of mechanics, and grew up with a passion for motors - in 2021 his father told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Oscar's bedtime stories were mainly car books. He could recite how quick cars were, the horsepower, how much speed they had.' His mother Nicole has become beloved in her own right by racing fans - frequently taking to social media to poke fun at her son. After his latest victory she posted: 'Off to Pilates, like a winner (….or at least a winner's mum).'
