2026 | GB3 | Donington Park Pre-Season Testing | Day 1

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Martin Molnar delivered a commanding performance on the opening day of the GB3 Championship’s Donington Park pre-season media day testing, topping three of the four sessions and setting a stunning lap record.

Driving for Rodin Motorsport, the Hungarian produced a best time of 1m21.130s in the final session. This effort not only eclipsed last year’s fastest lap by over 1.6 seconds but also beat the championship’s outright lap record by 1.2 seconds. As a result, Molnar immediately established himself as the driver to beat heading into the new season.

Early pace from Taylor before Molnar takes control on Day 1 of 2026 pre-season GB3 testing at Donington Park

The day began with Jack Taylor of Fortec Motorsports setting the pace in the opening session. However, momentum quickly shifted in session two when Molnar surged to the top of the timesheets.

From that point onwards, Molnar remained untouchable. Meanwhile, Dante Vinci of Hillspeed steadily improved throughout the day and ultimately secured second place in the final session, finishing just under four tenths behind the leader.

Tight competition behind the leader

While Molnar dominated at the front, the battle behind him proved closely contested. Taylor continued to improve across all sessions and secured third overall, ending within half a second of the benchmark time.

Rowan Campbell-Pilling of Xcel Motorsport claimed fourth, narrowly edging out Abbi Pulling, also representing Rodin Motorsport, by just 0.014 seconds.

In addition, Leon Wilson placed sixth for Arden Motorsport, with less than seven tenths separating him from Molnar’s leading time. This tight spread underlined the competitiveness of the field.

Rodin Motorsport further showcased its strength with Maxim Rehm securing seventh place. Notably, all top seven drivers recorded their quickest laps late in the day, indicating rapid track evolution and improving conditions.

Flynn Jackes placed eighth for Elite Motorsport, thanks to a strong lap in session two. Meanwhile, Peter Bouzinelos ensured a second Hillspeed entry in the top ten by finishing ninth.

Finally, a second Elite Motorsport entry, with the driver’s name withheld, completed the top ten, capping a productive opening day for the grid.

Testing continues

With one day of testing complete, teams and drivers will return to Donington Park for four additional sessions. Given the pace already demonstrated—particularly by Molnar—the next rounds of running promise even more competitive and revealing action.