Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling topped the second Free Practice (FP2) session for the 2026 GB3 Championship season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, setting a 1:33.531 before a late red flag brought Friday afternoon’s running to an early conclusion.
The British driver finished just 0.074 seconds ahead of VRD Racing’s Patricio Gonzalez, while championship leader Nikita Bedrin completed the top three. JHR Developments newcomer Lewis Wherrell continued his impressive debut weekend in fourth, ahead of Rodin’s Martin Molnar and Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough.
Three newcomers finished inside the top ten, with Wherrell joined by JHR teammate Thomas Ingram Hill and Hitech’s Theo Palmer. The leading ten drivers finished within 0.686 seconds of Pulling’s benchmark, while the top 12 were separated by less than a second.
The session ended with just over three minutes remaining after a car became stranded in the gravel at Turn 4. Despite the interruption, Pulling had already secured the fastest lap, strengthening Rodin’s preparations for the championship-deciding weekend.
Pulling leads Rodin to fastest time before late red flag
Pulling emerged fastest during the closing stages of FP2, recording a 1:33.531 shortly before officials displayed the red flag. Her lap displaced several competitors who had briefly held the leading position, including Bedrin, Wherrell and Hillspeed’s Dante Vinci.
The Rodin driver had finished sixth in Friday morning’s FP1 session, recording a 1:33.130 to finish 0.456 seconds behind Bedrin. Although her FP2 lap was slower than her morning benchmark, she improved her position by five places to finish first.
Her performance provided another encouraging result after a season in which she has demonstrated considerable progress. Pulling secured her maiden GB3 victory at Spa-Francorchamps, becoming the first female driver to win a race in the championship.
The former F1 Academy champion subsequently reflected on her historic Spa breakthrough, highlighting the work required to establish herself among the leading competitors.
Her latest result strengthens her preparations for the final qualifying sessions, particularly as Rodin Motorsport attempts to protect its narrow Teams’ Championship advantage.
Gonzalez and Bedrin place VRD Racing inside top three
VRD Racing continued its strong Friday performance, placing both Patricio Gonzalez and championship leader Bedrin inside the top three.
Gonzalez finished second with a 1:33.605, just 0.074 seconds behind Pulling. The Mexican had placed third during FP1, and his latest performance maintained his position among the leading contenders as VRD continued preparing for the decisive weekend.
Bedrin followed in third, recording a 1:33.820 to finish 0.289 seconds behind Pulling. The championship leader had briefly topped the classification towards the end of the session, but his rivals subsequently improved.
Nevertheless, Bedrin’s 1:32.674 from FP1 remains the fastest lap of the Barcelona weekend so far. His morning benchmark was 0.857 seconds quicker than Pulling’s FP2 time, demonstrating the difference between the sessions.
The 20-year-old enters the finale with 445 championship points, holding an 89-point advantage over Fairclough. With 102 points theoretically available across the final three races, Bedrin requires only 14 additional points to guarantee the Drivers’ Championship.
The Barcelona season-finale preview outlines the championship situation, with Bedrin, Fairclough, Lucas Fluxá and Molnar remaining mathematically involved.
Wherrell continues impressive GB3 debut with fourth place
JHR Developments’ Wherrell delivered another impressive performance, finishing fourth with a 1:33.955. The British driver ended FP2 just 0.424 seconds behind Pulling and 0.135 seconds away from the top three.
Wherrell had briefly led the session during the closing stages before several competitors improved. His performance followed fourth place in Thursday’s four-hour test, where he finished just 0.379 seconds behind Campbell-Pilling.
The 16-year-old also placed 11th during FP1, making his return to the top four particularly encouraging as he continued adapting to the GB3 machinery.
Wherrell joins the championship after finishing third in the 2026 British F4 standings, securing three victories and ten podium finishes during his rookie campaign.
His promotion to GB3 with JHR Developments allows him to continue working with the team that supported his successful British F4 season.
JHR’s return to GB3 also follows a season away from the championship, making Wherrell’s consistent front-running performances an encouraging indication of the team’s competitiveness.
Molnar and Fairclough remain close ahead of qualifying
Molnar completed the top five for Rodin Motorsport, recording a 1:34.030 to finish 0.499 seconds behind teammate Pulling.
The Hungarian had finished second during Thursday’s testing before placing fifth in FP1, maintaining his position among the leading competitors throughout the Barcelona weekend.
Molnar also enters the final round mathematically capable of securing the Drivers’ Championship, although his 94-point deficit to Bedrin leaves him requiring a substantial turnaround.
Fairclough followed in sixth for Hitech, setting a 1:34.054 to finish just 0.024 seconds behind Molnar. The British driver improved from 13th in FP1, although he remained 0.523 seconds away from Pulling’s leading time.
The result follows a remarkable second-half resurgence that has seen Fairclough secure six consecutive conventional-grid victories across Silverstone, Donington Park and Brands Hatch.
Despite his narrow championship hopes, Fairclough remains determined to challenge Bedrin at Barcelona, with the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup and Teams’ Championship also undecided.
His latest practice result provides some encouragement ahead of qualifying, although Bedrin continues to hold the fastest lap of the weekend.
Ingram Hill and Palmer strengthen newcomers’ performances
JHR Developments’ Ingram Hill continued his progress by finishing seventh with a 1:34.107. The British driver ended the session 0.576 seconds behind Pulling and just 0.053 seconds behind Fairclough.
His performance followed ninth place in FP1, when he recorded an identical lap time to Rodin’s Maxim Rehm. Ingram Hill has therefore featured inside the top ten during both Friday practice sessions, having finished 20th in Thursday’s testing.
The GB4 graduate enters the weekend after finishing fourth in the 2026 championship, with his Barcelona appearance providing an opportunity to gain experience ahead of his future racing plans.
Hitech newcomer Palmer followed in eighth, setting a 1:34.136. The British F4 runner-up finished just 0.029 seconds behind Ingram Hill and 0.605 seconds away from the overall benchmark.
Palmer had placed 12th during FP1, meaning he also improved his position during the afternoon.
His GB3 debut with Hitech follows a successful British F4 campaign that included three victories and a contribution to the team’s championship success.
Both newcomers will now aim to maintain their competitive form during FP3 before their first GB3 qualifying sessions on Saturday morning.
Vinci and Fu complete closely contested top ten
Hillspeed’s Vinci finished ninth with a 1:34.216, placing him 0.685 seconds behind Pulling. The Italian had briefly led the classification during the session before late improvements pushed him down the order.
Vinci’s performance represented an improvement from 15th in FP1, when he finished 0.990 seconds behind Bedrin.
Hitech’s Yuhao Fu completed the leading ten, recording a 1:34.217. The Chinese driver finished just 0.001 seconds behind Vinci and 0.686 seconds away from Pulling’s fastest time.
His performance represented a significant improvement from the morning session, when he placed 22nd. With Hitech also competing for the Teams’ Championship, Fu’s progress could prove important during the remainder of the weekend.
The Teams’ Championship battle entering Barcelona leaves Rodin Motorsport on 758 points, just 16 ahead of VRD Racing. Hitech follows in third on 691, while Xcel Motorsport occupies fourth with 665.
The combined performances of Pulling and Molnar therefore provided an encouraging indication for Rodin, although VRD’s two drivers inside the top three reinforced the close competition between the championship’s leading teams.
Bansal narrowly misses top ten as Jackes follows
TJ Speed Motorsports newcomer Ary Bansal narrowly missed the top ten, finishing 11th with a lap just 0.687 seconds behind Pulling.
The reigning GB4 champion missed tenth place by only 0.001 seconds, continuing an encouraging debut weekend after finishing fifth during Thursday’s test and fourth in FP1.
Elite Motorsport’s Flynn Jackes followed in 12th, recording a lap 0.699 seconds away from the benchmark. The result completed the group of 12 drivers separated by less than one second.
Hillspeed’s Peter Bouzinelos finished 13th, ahead of Elite Motorsport teammates Kyuho Lee and Fred Green. Lee had placed seventh in FP1, while Green continued gaining experience during his first GB3 weekend.
Campbell-Pilling followed in 16th for Xcel Motorsport, having led Thursday’s testing with a 1:32.990 and finished just 0.029 seconds behind Bedrin during FP1.
His afternoon result demonstrated the changing competitive order across the three sessions, with several previous front-runners finishing outside the leading positions.
Hillspeed’s Aurelia Nobels followed in 17th, ahead of Rehm in the third Rodin entry. Rodrigo Gonzalez and Fluxá completed the top 20, with Fluxá remaining mathematically involved in the Drivers’ Championship.
Late red flag ends session as field prepares for final practice
The second Free Practice session ended prematurely when a car became stranded in the gravel at Turn 4 with just over three minutes remaining. Officials displayed the red flag, preventing the field from completing its planned final runs.
Despite the interruption, the leading positions had changed repeatedly during the 30-minute session, with several drivers briefly topping the classification before Pulling established the fastest time.
Behind the top 20, Arden Motorsport’s Leon Wilson finished 21st, followed by TJ Speed’s Arjen Kräling and Arden teammate Matan Achituv.
Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing’s Jason Pribyl placed 24th, while Xcel Motorsport’s Ricardo Baptista completed the 25-driver classification.
The gaps remained particularly narrow towards the front, with the first ten drivers separated by 0.686 seconds and the leading 12 within 0.699 seconds.
However, Bedrin retained the fastest overall time of the week with his FP1 benchmark, leaving the championship leader in a strong position ahead of the final practice session.
2026 GB3 Barcelona FP2: Full classification
- Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport — 1:33.531
- Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing — +0.074s
- Nikita Bedrin, VRD Racing — +0.289s
- Lewis Wherrell, JHR Developments — +0.424s
- Martin Molnar, Rodin Motorsport — +0.499s
- Deagen Fairclough, Hitech — +0.523s
- Thomas Ingram Hill, JHR Developments — +0.576s
- Theo Palmer, Hitech — +0.605s
- Dante Vinci, Hillspeed — +0.685s
- Yuhao Fu, Hitech — +0.686s
- Ary Bansal, TJ Speed Motorsports — +0.687s
- Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport — +0.699s
- Peter Bouzinelos, Hillspeed — +1.047s
- Kyuho Lee, Elite Motorsport — +1.125s
- Fred Green, Elite Motorsport — +1.128s
- Rowan Campbell-Pilling, Xcel Motorsport — +1.171s
- Aurelia Nobels, Hillspeed — +1.254s
- Maxim Rehm, Rodin Motorsport — +1.332s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez, VRD Racing — +1.766s
- Lucas Fluxá, Xcel Motorsport — +1.795s
- Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport — +1.870s
- Arjen Kräling, TJ Speed Motorsports — +1.954s
- Matan Achituv, Arden Motorsport — +2.283s
- Jason Pribyl, Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing — +2.415s
- Ricardo Baptista, Xcel Motorsport — +3.113s
Fastest lap: Abbi Pulling — 1:33.531.
Fastest lap of the weekend so far: Nikita Bedrin — 1:32.674 (FP1).
Barcelona weekend continues with final practice before qualifying
Pulling therefore concluded FP2 with the fastest time, strengthening Rodin Motorsport’s preparations for the championship-deciding weekend. However, Gonzalez and Bedrin remained close behind, while Wherrell, Ingram Hill and Palmer demonstrated promising pace during their first GB3 appearances.
The narrow gaps among the leading competitors suggest another competitive qualifying session, particularly as Rodin and VRD continue their battle for the Teams’ Championship.
The final 30-minute Free Practice session will begin at 16:20 local time (CET) on Friday, 6 November, providing teams with one final opportunity to refine their setups.
Saturday’s qualifying sessions will begin at 10:55 and 11:15, followed by Race 1 at 15:00. The final two races of the championship will take place on Sunday, 8 November, concluding the 2026 GB3 season.
