McLaughlin: Test will be vital ahead of ‘physically and mentally demanding’ part of season

Having had plenty of time to reflect on the opening round of the 2026 Formula 3 campaign, Fionn McLaughlin is raring to get going once again.

The Hitech rookie says that the break in action has been nice, but he is ready to get back to work ahead of the in-season test and Round 2 around Monaco in June.

Speaking about what he’s been up to in the gap, the Red Bull Junior Team driver says it has been about keeping sharp in the simulator and taking time with family before the season gets busy.

“It's been a long time now. I've just been on the sim and working out. Not really much else, racing drivers are boring, so I don't really do that much. I've just been playing a bit of golf, spending time with family.

“It's been nice to get a while to chill, to be honest, and a good time to reflect on Melbourne. It was a good experience. First round, obviously, I didn't get much time to prepare, so it was kind of a rush.

“But I'm quite happy I've had this time to have a break. I can fully dedicate my life now to the next round. It's just like the season's restarting again. It went well. I took a lot from it. I learned that I managed the situations well.

“It could have went a lot worse. It could have went a lot better. So, yeah, I'm happy with how it went.”

The drivers will get two days in the car prior to racing again in 2026, with the in-season test around Red Bull Ring coming later this month.

McLaughlin says the test will be crucial in order to hit the ground running around the Principality, where mistakes will be even more punishing than usual.

“Definitely key, because Monaco's going to be difficult. Jumping into the car that we haven't been in in a long time just to go straight into Monaco will be difficult.

“So these two days will be good to get the cobwebs off - it'll be a good start to get ready for Monaco.

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“After Monaco, we have so many races in a row, it's just going to be going from nothing to a lot. The adrenaline will be used a lot. It'll be physically demanding.

“You just have to prepare for these moments. You have to be mentally ready, physically ready. As drivers, we're ready for these moments.

“After the weekends, we'll have a couple of days off, but not much. We'll be straight back into the next race weekend. The time to reflect will be difficult, but we have to try and manage it as best as we can.”

Looking to the season beyond Monaco, McLaughlin says that he and the Hitech team are well placed to make gains after a difficult opening round.

Teammate Jin Nakamura ensured that the British outfit were able to score in Round 1, but the overall speed the team has is clear according to the Irish driver.

“I believe that I can make it to the front. As a team, we're working hard to get the car set up better. As a driver, I'm trying to improve too. I believe that we can get to the front as quick as we can.

“We're fast. It's not like we don't have the speed. Over the next rounds, we can be back up at the front end of the field.

“I just can't wait to get back out driving, to be honest. The test is coming up as well, I'm excited to get back into it, just to see how I've changed and how much I've improved. It'll be nice to see how I compare against the others.”