The 2026 GB3 Championship heads to the Red Bull Ring this weekend, as the series prepares for its first-ever event at the home of the Austrian Grand Prix. The field will take on the Spielberg venue from 9 to 12 July, with two days of testing before three races across Saturday and Sunday.
Nikita Bedrin arrives in Austria as the clear championship leader. The VRD Racing driver claimed his fourth win of the season at the Hungaroring last weekend and extended his advantage to 68 points after eight races. However, the Red Bull Ring’s quick straights and tight hairpins should give his rivals a chance to fight back.
Rodin Motorsport’s Maxim Rehm remains Bedrin’s nearest challenger, while Xcel Motorsport’s Lucas Fluxa and Rodin’s Martin Molnar arrive with momentum after strong Hungaroring weekends. Meanwhile, the Teams’ Championship remains close, with Rodin leading VRD Racing by only five points after Round 3.
Red Bull Ring brings a new challenge for the GB3 field
The Red Bull Ring gives GB3 a fresh challenge this weekend. The Styrian circuit combines long acceleration zones, heavy braking points and fast direction changes, which should reward drivers who can attack kerbs without losing traction on corner exit.
Qualifying will also play a major role. The two-part session on Saturday morning will decide the grids for Races 1 and 2, while Race 3 will close the weekend on Sunday afternoon. With GB3 reaching the midway point of the season after Sunday’s races, the Austrian round could shape both championship fights.
Bedrin leads after another decisive Hungaroring weekend
Bedrin remains the driver to beat after a commanding start to the 2026 GB3 season. The 20-year-old has already claimed four wins from the opening eight races, and his Hungaroring success allowed him to build a sizeable points cushion.
However, Bedrin cannot afford to manage the gap too cautiously. The Red Bull Ring should create slipstreaming opportunities, while the tight braking zones could invite bold overtaking moves. As a result, his first GB3 weekend in Austria may test both his racecraft and his consistency.
Rehm leads the chasing pack
Rehm continues to sit closest to Bedrin in the Drivers’ Championship. The Rodin Motorsport driver still seeks his first win of the season, but his regular podium finishes have kept him in contention.
Furthermore, Rodin arrives in Austria with strength across its full line-up. Molnar enters the weekend after securing his first GB3 pole position and a fourth podium of the season at his home round in Hungary. Abbi Pulling also showed front-running pace at the Hungaroring, despite suffering retirements in Races 1 and 3.
Fluxa targets first win after Hungaroring charge
Fluxa has emerged as one of the strongest recent movers in the field. The Xcel Motorsport driver twice charged from the lower end of the top 10 to the podium at the Hungaroring, and those drives moved him firmly into the championship conversation.
Meanwhile, team-mate Rowan Campbell-Pilling also enjoyed one of his strongest weekends of the season in Hungary. He gained a first GB3 podium in the final race and now heads to Austria looking to convert that pace into another strong result.
Ricardo Baptista completes Xcel’s Red Bull Ring line-up after making steady progress across recent events.
Jackes and Fairclough arrive with race-winning momentum
Flynn Jackes arrives in Austria with confidence after claiming his first GB3 victory at the Hungaroring. The Elite Motorsport driver finally broke through at the 52nd attempt and moved into the championship top six as a result.
Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough also took his first win of the season in Hungary. He launched well from second on the grid and controlled the opening race, but misfortune limited his returns later in the weekend. He also carries a three-place grid drop for Race 1 at the Red Bull Ring after causing a collision in the Hungaroring finale.
Kyuho Lee will also aim to respond after losing points in the final Hungaroring race. The South Korean driver showed strong pace again in Hungary, but a crash cost him a larger haul.
Gonzalez, Hillspeed and Hitech look to build momentum
Patricio Gonzalez continues to strengthen VRD Racing’s front-running push during his first full GB3 season. The Mexican driver has edged closer to a maiden podium, and Austria gives him another opportunity to support Bedrin while chasing his own breakthrough.
Hillspeed also arrives with renewed confidence. Peter Bouzinelos, Dante Vinci and Aurelia Nobels all recorded their best GB3 qualifying performances in Hungary and converted that progress into breakthrough top-10 race results.
Hitech’s Yuhao Fu continues to improve during his debut GB3 campaign, while Jacob Micallef made an immediate impression after stepping into the seat vacated by race winner Jin Nakamura. Micallef quickly established himself as a top-10 contender and now gets another chance to prove that pace at the Red Bull Ring.
Arden looks for a response in Austria
Arden Motorsport completes the 19-car grid with Lewis Gilbert and Leon Wilson. Both British drivers will look to move on from a difficult trio of races at the Hungaroring and use the Red Bull Ring’s new challenge to reset their weekend momentum.
VRD Racing’s Rodrigo Gonzalez also continues to show promising pace, while the midfield battle remains one of the closest areas of the championship.
Full entry list: 2026 GB3 Red Bull Ring
- #1 Maxim Rehm — Rodin Motorsport
- #2 Martin Molnar — Rodin Motorsport
- #3 Abbi Pulling — Rodin Motorsport
- #4 Jacob Micallef — Hitech
- #5 Yuhao Fu — Hitech
- #6 Deagen Fairclough — Hitech
- #7 Lucas Fluxa — Xcel Motorsport
- #8 Rowan Campbell-Pilling — Xcel Motorsport
- #9 Ricardo Baptista — Xcel Motorsport
- #10 Dante Vinci — Hillspeed
- #11 Peter Bouzinelos — Hillspeed
- #12 Aurelia Nobels — Hillspeed
- #18 Flynn Jackes — Elite Motorsport
- #19 Kyuho Lee — Elite Motorsport
- #20 Nikita Bedrin — VRD Racing
- #21 Patricio Gonzalez — VRD Racing
- #22 Rodrigo Gonzalez — VRD Racing
- #26 Lewis Gilbert — Arden Motorsport
- #27 Leon Wilson — Arden Motorsport
GB3 confirmed the 19-car Red Bull Ring entry list before the weekend.
Thursday testing opens the 2026 GB3 Red Bull Ring weekend
The weekend begins with three test sessions on Thursday 9 July. Drivers will use 45, 50 and 55-minute runs to learn GB3’s newest venue.
Thursday 9 July — live timing
09:20–10:05 — Session 1
11:05–11:55 — Session 2
14:00–14:55 — Session 3
Live timing will cover every Thursday session.
Friday testing gives teams final preparation time
A further 90 minutes of testing follows on Friday 10 July. GB3 will open and close the day’s track action, giving teams one final chance to refine set-ups before qualifying.
Friday 10 July — live timing
08:30–09:00 — Session 1
13:00–13:30 — Session 2
17:25–17:55 — Session 3
Live timing and social media updates will continue throughout Friday.
Qualifying and Race 1 start the competitive action
Saturday brings the first competitive sessions of the weekend. Qualifying One and Qualifying Two will decide the grids for the first two races, before Race 1 begins on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 11 July — live timing and streaming
10:20 — Qualifying 1
10:40 — Qualifying 2
14:25 — Race 1
GB3 will stream Race 1 live, with coverage scheduled to begin at approximately 14:05 local time.
Sunday double-header takes the season to halfway
The Red Bull Ring weekend concludes with two 25-minute races on Sunday. Race 2 starts in the morning, while Race 3 brings the round to a close in the afternoon.
Sunday 12 July — live timing and streaming
09:55 — Race 2
14:15 — Race 3
Live coverage for Race 2 will begin at approximately 09:35, while Race 3 coverage will start around 13:55 local time. All times are local CEST.
How to follow the 2026 GB3 Red Bull Ring action
GB3 will provide live timing across testing, qualifying and races through its official website. Race coverage will also include the usual live streams, with pre-race and post-race coverage for all three contests.
Looking ahead to a landmark Austrian round
The Red Bull Ring gives GB3 a major new stage this weekend. Bedrin holds a strong Drivers’ Championship lead, but Rehm, Fluxa, Molnar, Jackes and Fairclough all arrive with reasons to believe they can reduce the gap.
Meanwhile, the Teams’ Championship remains finely balanced between Rodin and VRD Racing. With three races in the Styrian mountains and the season about to reach its midway point, GB3’s first Austrian visit could become one of the most important rounds of the year.
