2026 | GB3 | Snetterton Pre-Season Testing | Day 1 | Fairclough smashes lap record on opening day of testing

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Hitech driver Deagen Fairclough delivered a remarkable performance on the opening day of 2026 GB3 Championship pre-season testing at Snetterton, smashing the circuit lap record in the upgraded Tatuus MSV GB3-025.

The British driver, who recently claimed the prestigious Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, posted a stunning lap time of 1m38.428s midway through the fourth session of the day. His effort proved significantly faster than any previous benchmark during testing at the Norfolk circuit.

Notably, the lap was two seconds quicker than the best time recorded during pre-season testing last year. Furthermore, Fairclough’s effort also eclipsed the long-standing outright lap record at the circuit, set by Felipe Nasr in 2011, by 0.703 seconds.

Rapid adaptation to the new 2026 GB3 machine on Day 1 of pre-season testing at Snetterton

Fairclough’s pace was particularly impressive given that the test marked his first experience in the upgraded GB3 machine. The new Tatuus MSV GB3-025 features a more powerful 2.4-litre engine delivering greater torque, alongside aerodynamic refinements designed to enhance overall performance.

Throughout the day, the Hitech driver consistently led the timesheets. In fact, he topped three of the four sessions, underlining his immediate comfort with the revised car.

Earlier in the morning, he had already set the pace with a 1m39.131s lap, which also broke the previous record and stood as the benchmark for most of the day. However, during the final 45-minute session, Fairclough fitted a fresh set of tyres and lowered the mark even further with his headline lap.

Rehm and Hewetson complete top three

Rodin Motorsport’s Maxim Rehm finished the day second fastest, ending the session just 0.205 seconds behind Fairclough. Like the Briton, Rehm enjoyed success at Monza last season, making him another driver to watch heading into the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Cole Hewetson secured third place for Xcel Motorsport, finishing just over half a second off the leading pace.

Trialist Edu Robertson impressed by setting the fourth fastest time for Elite Motorsport. He ended the day only 0.026 seconds behind Hewetson and narrowly ahead of Rodin Motorsport’s returning driver Abbi Pulling.

Competitive midfield performance at Snetterton testing a positive sign for 2026 GB3 Championship

Further down the order, Dante Vinci emerged as the leading Hillspeed contender, placing seventh overall. He finished a couple of tenths ahead of Hitech’s Noah Lisle, while Elite Motorsport’s Kyuho Lee secured eighth position, just over one second away from the ultimate pace.

Flynn Jackes, who is targeting a return to the GB3 grid with Elite Motorsport, placed ninth. The top 10 was completed by Xcel Motorsport’s Rowan Campbell-Pilling.

In total, 21 drivers participated in the opening day of testing. Notably, all but two competitors recorded their fastest laps during the final session as track conditions improved.

Testing continues at Snetterton

Pre-season preparations will continue at Snetterton tomorrow, with four additional testing sessions scheduled as teams gather more data on the new GB3 car ahead of the 2026 campaign.