After dominating British F4, McLaughlin will take a big step in his career as he moves up to Formula 3 for 2026.
He will again race with Hitech, the team which took him to the British F4 success, and will be competing on 10 Formula 1 weekends throughout the season.
Just days after his final race at Brands Hatch, McLaughlin took part in the first of three tests in Spain and Italy to try a Formula 3 car for the first time and he said he “learnt a lot”.
“How much speed you can carry through the corner is the main difference. The braking is quite hard,” the teenager said.
“There’s a lot more aero and most of it is when you flow through the corner. You have to carry the speed and trust the grip. It’s crazy compared to F4.
“I know what to do, and in my brain I’m telling myself to do the right thing, but it’s having the confidence to do it.
“Getting used to that initially was hard but I feel like I’m getting there now. I’m confident I’ll be ready at the start of the season.”
The Formula 3 season begins in Melbourne on 7 March before rounds in Bahrain, Monaco, Barcelona, Austria, Silverstone, Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Madrid.
“I’m so excited and I can’t wait to see how much I improve. Hopefully I can become one of the best drivers on the grid,” McLaughlin added.
“The race all of the best drivers around at Melbourne will be special.”
