The first time Fionn McLaughlin came to Monaco as a 15-year-old, he stood behind the barriers and watched. This week, at 18, he goes back, but behind the wheel.McLaughlin, from Magherafelt in Co Derry, is one of the most promising young racing drivers Ireland has produced in a generation. He competes in FIA Formula 3, just two steps away from the elusive Formula 1, as a Red Bull Junior driver with the Hitech team. “I feel like actually being down there and part of the F1 weekend will just be 10 times better,” he reflects, three years on.The preparation has been meticulous. Testing is not allowed on the streets of the principality. For McLaughlin, that has meant weeks on the simulator, working through every corner, every reference point, every metre of the 3.337-kilometre circuit in as much detail as the technology allows.“You’ll struggle to get a lot of laps, because there’s 30 cars going around a very tight circuit,” he says. “Just trying to make the most of it off track, and as soon as you get there, you know what to do and where to be.”When told that F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who have podiumed in Monaco, P1 and P2 respectively for Ferrari, once drove the circuit in reverse on the simulator simply to better understand the track, McLaughlin laughs. “I’ve never actually thought about that. Maybe they see something from it, but I don’t feel like learning a track backwards would [teach] you much. We’ve done a lot of laps in the sim, the correct way.”Qualifying at Monaco is an interesting one. The circuit is tight and offers almost no overtaking opportunities, which means where you qualify is, with rare exceptions, where you finish. One mistake on a flying lap, one moment of imprecision, and the weekend is effectively over before the race begins. “Definitely the pressure will be a lot higher than normal,” McLaughlin says. “With people crashing, one lap might be the only lap that counts.”There is a particular challenge unique to street circuits that McLaughlin has been thinking carefully about. Monaco’s walls close in on you in a way that has broken the confidence of far more experienced drivers than him. The temptation, he explains, is to fixate on what you are trying to avoid. “[Don’t] overcomplicate things. It’s just another race,” he says.Fionn McLaughlin of Ireland looks on from the pitwall during day one of Formula 3 Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on October 15th, 2025. Photograph: Dom Gibbons/Getty Images Before going out on track, there is a ritual that McLaughlin follows. A team warm-up. And then, always, a call home.“Speaking to the family before going out keeps you grounded and reminds you where you’re at and where you come from ... it’s just important to keep your feet on the ground.” When asked what his favourite Monaco memory is, his answer is not about glamour. It is Daniel Ricciardo, who drove the final 50 laps of Monaco 2018 with a broken power unit and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at his heels, and still won. “Just to see how mentally well he dealt with that was quite special.”Ireland has been watching the streets of Monaco with growing interest. Alex Dunne, the Co Offaly driver competing in F2 with the Alpine Academy, took pole position at last year’s round. “It was nice to see him pull [pole]. It was amazing to see someone Irish get something special like that, but for me, I don’t chase things. Alex is doing well in his career, and he’s definitely a bit ahead of me. It takes time to work for these things. If pole happens, that’ll be amazing, but it’s not something I’m looking towards. “Over time, I want that [pole], but you can get ahead of yourself very quickly, and for me, it’s just about doing what I can at the moment.” [ Derek Daly: ‘I survived the hardest crash impact a driver had ever survived’Opens in new window ]So what does the perfect Monaco weekend look like for a Red Bull Junior driver?“Well, a pole position, win the feature, and maybe try to get a top 10 in the reverse? That’d be a perfect weekend.” He delivers it without a trace of irony, in the same even tone he uses for everything else. The casual ambition of someone who has decided, long ago, exactly what he is here to do.Fionn McLaughlin competes in Round 2 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday at 9.45am