Hitech’s Yuhao “Felix” Fu has expressed renewed confidence following his maiden GB3 Championship podium at Brands Hatch, where the Chinese driver secured second place in the reversed-grid Race 3 after challenging Lucas Fluxá for victory.
The 18-year-old produced his strongest performance of the 2026 season, finishing just 0.844 seconds behind the Xcel Motorsport driver after maintaining pressure throughout the 19-lap contest. His Hitech teammate Kanato Le completed the podium in third, finishing another 0.432 seconds behind Fu and securing a double podium for the British outfit.
The result represented a significant breakthrough for Fu, whose first season in GB3 has presented considerable challenges as he adapts to more powerful single-seater machinery. Having previously managed only one top-ten finish, he believes his Brands Hatch performance demonstrates the progress he has made throughout the campaign and provides a platform for further improvements at the Barcelona season finale in November.
Fu celebrates maiden GB3 podium at Brands Hatch in 2026
Fu entered the Brands Hatch weekend seeking a stronger result after struggling to consistently challenge near the front during his debut GB3 campaign. However, the penultimate round provided an opportunity to demonstrate his progress, particularly during the reversed-grid finale.
The Hitech driver started second alongside Hillspeed’s Peter Bouzinelos, benefiting from his qualifying performance earlier in the weekend. However, Fluxá made the strongest start from fourth, moving into the lead before the field reached Paddock Hill Bend.
Although Fu could not prevent the Spaniard from taking first place, he remained close throughout the race and maintained consistent pressure. His performance ultimately secured second, marking his first GB3 podium and his strongest result in the championship.
Reflecting on the achievement, Fu acknowledged the difficulties he had encountered throughout the season and the importance of finally converting his progress into a podium finish.
“It was really good to finish on the podium,” said Fu. “We’ve had a difficult season and have sometimes struggled for pace, so to get a top-three is a big confidence boost.”
The result rewarded Fu’s perseverance during a challenging campaign, giving him greater confidence as he approaches the final round.
2026 Brands Hatch result reflects improvements in outright pace for Fu
Fu’s second-place finish represented a significant improvement on his previous best result of ninth, which he achieved during the reversed-grid race at the Hungaroring in July.
Although the Budapest result provided valuable championship points, Fu believes the circumstances differed considerably from his Brands Hatch performance. At the Hungaroring, he benefited primarily from avoiding incidents and maintaining a clean race, rather than demonstrating the outright speed necessary to challenge the leading competitors.
By contrast, his Brands Hatch qualifying performance placed him tenth in the second session, securing a front-row start under the reversed-grid format. That position created an opportunity to challenge for victory, while his pace throughout the race allowed him to remain close to Fluxá.
“Budapest was a good weekend, but our result was because I avoided incidents and stayed out of trouble,” he recalled. “Brands was down to actual pace as we managed to qualify high enough to [benefit from] the reversed-grid.”
The distinction holds particular significance for Fu, who has spent much of the season attempting to improve his competitiveness against drivers with greater experience in Formula Regional-level machinery. His Brands Hatch performance demonstrated that he could maintain a strong position through pace rather than relying solely on incidents elsewhere in the field.
Podium performance eases pressure on Fu
Beyond securing his strongest result, Fu believes the podium has reduced some of the pressure he previously placed on himself during his debut season.
The Chinese driver has encountered several difficult weekends throughout 2026, particularly when attempting to extract the maximum performance from the GB3 car during qualifying. Those challenges have frequently left him starting further down the field, making competitive race results more difficult to achieve.
However, Brands Hatch provided an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to compete near the front. Despite losing a position to Fluxá at the start, Fu maintained second throughout the race and finished less than a second behind the winner.
“Now that I’ve got that podium, I’m feeling that there is a little less pressure on me than there was before. I’ve shown that I can do it and I can hold my position when at the front.”
The result also reflected Fu’s improving racecraft, particularly his ability to manage pressure while maintaining a consistent pace. Having spent much of the season competing in the midfield, he gained valuable experience defending a podium position against another competitive driver.
That experience could prove important as he attempts to build on the result during the final round, where he hopes to challenge for another podium.
Fu and Le secure double podium for Hitech in 2026 GB3 Brands Hatch round
Fu’s second-place finish formed part of another successful Brands Hatch weekend for Hitech, which secured two victories and three podiums across the three races.
Deagen Fairclough dominated the opening two contests, converting pole position into victory in both races before recovering from 12th to fifth in the reversed-grid finale. Meanwhile, Fu and Le ensured the team remained represented on the podium despite Fluxá denying Hitech a clean sweep.
Le returned to GB3 for the Brands Hatch round after completing his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign with ART Grand Prix. The Japanese driver rejoined Hitech as a substitute, replacing Jacob Micallef in the team’s line-up alongside Fairclough and Fu.
Starting fifth in Race 3, Le moved through the field before overtaking Hillspeed’s Dante Vinci on lap 13 to secure third. He subsequently maintained the position until the chequered flag, finishing 1.276 seconds behind Fluxá and completing Hitech’s double podium.
The Brands Hatch Race 3 result therefore marked an important weekend for the team, with Fu securing his first podium while his teammates continued demonstrating the strength of Hitech’s programme.
For Fu, the result also provided encouragement after a season in which his performances had not consistently matched those of the team’s leading drivers.
Transition from Formula 4 presents significant learning curve
Fu’s progress at Brands Hatch follows a demanding transition into GB3, which represents his first season competing in Formula Regional-level machinery.
Before joining Hitech for 2026, the Chinese driver gained experience in Formula 4 championships in Britain and China. Those campaigns provided an introduction to single-seater racing, although the move into GB3 introduced greater technical and physical demands.
The championship uses a more powerful car with significantly greater aerodynamic performance than conventional Formula 4 machinery. Consequently, drivers must adapt their braking techniques, cornering speeds and car management while competing against experienced rivals.
Fu acknowledged that the adjustment has taken time, particularly during the opening rounds when he struggled to consistently demonstrate competitive pace. However, he believes that the experience accumulated throughout the season has gradually helped him improve his performances.
“It’s been tough and I am still learning,” he said. “At first, we struggled, but [as the year has gone on], we have started to show our pace more often.”
His second-place finish at Brands Hatch provided the clearest indication of that progress, demonstrating his ability to maintain a competitive pace throughout an entire race.
Although the podium does not erase the difficulties of his earlier weekends, it provides a foundation from which he can continue developing his understanding of the car.
Fu targets another podium or victory in Barcelona
With his first podium secured, Fu has turned his attention towards the 2026 GB3 season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which will take place from 5–8 November.
The Spanish circuit will present another challenge for the Hitech driver, who has not previously competed there. However, Barcelona’s combination of high-speed corners, technical sections and heavy braking zones will provide opportunities to apply the experience he has gained throughout the season.
Fu enters the final round hoping to continue his recent progress and build on the confidence gained from Brands Hatch. Although another podium remains an ambitious target given the competitiveness of the field, he believes the breakthrough result has demonstrated that he can challenge near the front.
“Now I know I can do it, I’d like another podium or maybe even a win,” he said. “I’ve not raced at Barcelona before, but I like the track and am excited to race there.”
The finale will also provide an opportunity for Hitech to conclude its campaign strongly, with Fairclough remaining involved in the Drivers’ Championship battle following his dominant Brands Hatch weekend.
For Fu, however, the immediate objective is to convert his improving pace into another competitive result. After a difficult introduction to GB3, his maiden podium has given him confidence that further success remains achievable as the season reaches its conclusion.
