Fionn McLaughlin reflects on Spa Feature Race, fighting back from P29 to P13

McLaughlin turns difficult Spa weekend into strong recovery

Fionn McLaughlin converted a difficult qualifying session into a determined recovery drive at Spa-Francorchamps, climbing from P29 to P13 in the Feature Race for Hitech.

He admitted qualifying had not gone to plan, but used the Feature Race to apply what he had learned. By preserving his tyres during the opening phase, McLaughlin created the opportunity to attack later, producing a sequence of overtakes on his way forward.

“I just tried to save the tyre at the start of the race, and I did that well and ended up having strong pace and pushed through,” he explained.

Overtaking window was narrow at Spa

McLaughlin’s advance included a pass around the outside at Turn 12 and several moves down the straight after Eau Rouge, where DRS made the overtakes more straightforward. However, he stressed that the circuit offered limited opportunities unless a rival’s tyres began to fade or a driver secured a particularly strong exit.

“It’s tricky because everyone’s stuck so the only way you can make progress is if they start degging or falling off and that’s the chance you get to overtake,” he said.

He also highlighted the exits from Turns 1, 14 and 19 as key launch points for attacks onto the straights. Beyond those opportunities, he said, making progress was difficult.

McLaughlin’s recovery followed a positive weekend for Hitech, with teammate Jin Nakamura taking his maiden Formula 3 victory in the Sprint Race. Nakamura’s Spa victory provided further evidence of the team’s progress with its car.

Focus shifts to Budapest

McLaughlin now turns to Budapest, a circuit he has visited previously but never raced at. He wants to make a stronger start on Friday and use the coming races, along with the test in Madrid, to build his track knowledge and Formula 3 experience.

“It was a learning weekend, and I am satisfied with it in the end. I still want a lot more but it’s difficult,” he said.

For McLaughlin, the priority remains clear: keep improving, focus on his own performance and convert the lessons from Spa into a stronger points challenge in Budapest.