2026 | GB3 | Hungaroring | Practice | Fairclough ends Friday fastest after record FP3 lap

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Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough ended Friday Practice fastest at the 2026 Hungaroring Round after lowering the all-time GB3 benchmark twice across the final two sessions.

VRD Racing championship leader Nikita Bedrin set the early pace in Free Practice 1 with a 1:36.039, briefly establishing a new GB3 record at the Hungarian venue. However, Fairclough responded in FP2 with a 1:35.849 before improving again in FP3 with a 1:35.668.

Bedrin finished second overall, 0.132s adrift, while Rodin Motorsport’s home contender Martin Molnár completed the combined top three. Hillspeed’s Dante Vinci and Peter Bouzinelos followed in fourth and fifth, with Hitech newcomer Jacob Micallef sixth after an encouraging first day in GB3.

Bedrin opens Friday with new GB3 benchmark

Bedrin struck first in the opening 30-minute session, setting a 1:36.039 on his penultimate lap to beat Fairclough by just 0.043s.

Fairclough had shown strong pace throughout Thursday, but Bedrin produced the decisive late lap in FP1 to put VRD Racing at the top. Vinci continued Hillspeed’s positive Hungaroring form in third, only 0.164s away from the benchmark, while Bouzinelos backed up his teammate in fourth.

Molnár placed fifth for Rodin Motorsport, ahead of VRD Racing’s Patricio González and Hitech’s Micallef. Rodin Motorsport’s Maxim Rehm, Elite Motorsport’s Flynn Jackes and Xcel Motorsport’s Lucas Fluxá completed a top 10 covered by 0.786s.

The top 12 drivers finished within one second of Bedrin’s benchmark, while track limits led officials to delete some lap times during the session.

2026 GB3 Hungaroring Free Practice 1 results

#20 Nikita Bedrin, VRD Racing: 1:36.039
#6 Deagen Fairclough, Hitech: +0.043s
#10 Dante Vinci, Hillspeed: +0.164s
#11 Peter Bouzinelos, Hillspeed: +0.337s
#2 Martin Molnár, Rodin Motorsport: +0.455s
#21 Patricio González, VRD Racing: +0.528s
#4 Jacob Micallef, Hitech: +0.602s
#1 Maxim Rehm, Rodin Motorsport: +0.614s
#18 Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport: +0.663s
#7 Lucas Fluxá, Xcel Motorsport: +0.786s
#3 Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport: +0.815s
#19 Kyuho Lee, Elite Motorsport: +0.957s
#26 Lewis Gilbert, Arden Motorsport: +1.051s
#9 Ricardo Baptista, Xcel Motorsport: +1.142s
#12 Aurelia Nobels, Hillspeed: +1.189s
#27 Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport: +1.304s
#8 Rowan Campbell-Pilling, Xcel Motorsport: +1.378s
#22 Rodrigo González, VRD Racing: +1.472s
#5 Yuhao Fu, Hitech: +2.263s

Fairclough moves the record into the 1:35s

Fairclough then reclaimed the initiative in FP2 and became the first driver of the week to lap the Hungaroring below the 1:36.000 mark.

The Hitech driver delivered a 1:35.849 inside the final five minutes, putting himself 0.381s clear of Bedrin. He also backed up that effort with another lap in the 1:35s, which reinforced his advantage during the second session.

Bedrin took second, while Molnár completed the top three for Rodin Motorsport. Abbi Pulling placed fourth in the sister Rodin car, only 0.040s ahead of Bouzinelos in fifth.

Rodrigo González finished sixth for VRD Racing, ahead of Lee, Arden Motorsport’s Lewis Gilbert, Nobels and Rehm. Track limits again affected the running, but Fairclough’s late pace left him comfortably clear at the top.

2026 GB3 Hungaroring Free Practice 2 results

#6 Deagen Fairclough, Hitech: 1:35.849
#20 Nikita Bedrin, VRD Racing: +0.381s
#2 Martin Molnár, Rodin Motorsport: +0.546s
#3 Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport: +1.013s
#11 Peter Bouzinelos, Hillspeed: +1.053s
#22 Rodrigo González, VRD Racing: +1.243s
#19 Kyuho Lee, Elite Motorsport: +1.306s
#26 Lewis Gilbert, Arden Motorsport: +1.460s
#12 Aurelia Nobels, Hillspeed: +1.460s
#1 Maxim Rehm, Rodin Motorsport: +1.466s
#7 Lucas Fluxá, Xcel Motorsport: +1.480s
#18 Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport: +1.567s
#21 Patricio González, VRD Racing: +1.599s
#4 Jacob Micallef, Hitech: +1.733s
#27 Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport: +1.863s
#8 Rowan Campbell-Pilling, Xcel Motorsport: +1.986s
#9 Ricardo Baptista, Xcel Motorsport: +2.089s
#10 Dante Vinci, Hillspeed: +2.176s
#5 Yuhao Fu, Hitech: +2.213s

Fairclough lowers the benchmark again in final practice

Fairclough completed Friday with another record-breaking lap in FP3, setting a 1:35.668 in the final five minutes of the 30-minute session.

This time, Bedrin closed to within 0.132s, while Molnár also joined the 1:35s and finished 0.260s away from Fairclough. Micallef briefly held top spot late in the session and eventually secured fourth, giving Hitech two cars inside the top four.

Rowan Campbell-Pilling led Xcel Motorsport’s charge in fifth after also spending time at the head of the order. Lee took sixth, narrowly ahead of Rehm, Vinci, Fluxá and Rodrigo González.

Fairclough’s final-session effort ensured he topped the day overall, while Bedrin and Molnár also saved their best laps for the final session.

2026 GB3 Hungaroring Free Practice 3 results

#6 Deagen Fairclough, Hitech: 1:35.668
#20 Nikita Bedrin, VRD Racing: +0.132s
#2 Martin Molnár, Rodin Motorsport: +0.260s
#4 Jacob Micallef, Hitech: +0.746s
#8 Rowan Campbell-Pilling, Xcel Motorsport: +0.790s
#19 Kyuho Lee, Elite Motorsport: +0.869s
#1 Maxim Rehm, Rodin Motorsport: +0.882s
#10 Dante Vinci, Hillspeed: +0.911s
#7 Lucas Fluxá, Xcel Motorsport: +0.922s
#22 Rodrigo González, VRD Racing: +1.099s
#3 Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport: +1.159s
#27 Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport: +1.192s
#26 Lewis Gilbert, Arden Motorsport: +1.203s
#12 Aurelia Nobels, Hillspeed: +1.293s
#11 Peter Bouzinelos, Hillspeed: +1.470s
#9 Ricardo Baptista, Xcel Motorsport: +1.508s
#5 Yuhao Fu, Hitech: +1.808s
#18 Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport: +2.349s

Fairclough heads the combined order

Fairclough’s FP3 lap gave him the quickest time of the day, while Bedrin ended Friday second and Molnár completed the top three.

Vinci, Bouzinelos and Micallef all kept their FP1 laps inside the combined top six. Meanwhile, Campbell-Pilling, Lee and Rehm improved in FP3 to finish seventh, eighth and ninth overall.

Patricio González completed the combined top 10 through his FP1 effort. The top 10 finished within 0.899s, while 1.3s covered the first 17 drivers as the field tightened across the day.

The GB3 field returns to action on Saturday morning for the two-part Qualifying session, scheduled to begin at 09:00 local time. Fairclough enters Qualifying with momentum after topping four of the six track sessions held so far this week.