Nikita Bedrin made an emphatic start to the 2026 GB3 season by claiming double pole position during Round 1 Qualifying at the Silverstone Circuit. The VRD Racing driver combined precision and pace across both sessions, first edging a closely fought opening segment before delivering a commanding improvement in the second.
As a result, Bedrin not only secured the best possible starting positions for both races but also established himself as the early benchmark in the championship. Nevertheless, the margins behind him remained exceptionally tight, indicating that the battle for victories will be fiercely contested.
2026 GB3: Silverstone: Qualifying 1: Late lap denies Rodin sweep
The opening Qualifying session unfolded as a tense and closely matched contest. For much of the running, Rodin Motorsport appeared set to lock out the front row, with Martin Molnar leading the charge.
However, Bedrin delivered when it mattered most. In the closing stages, he produced a decisive lap of 1m50.123s to snatch pole position by just 0.035 seconds. Consequently, he disrupted what had looked like a dominant Rodin performance.
Molnar held onto second, maintaining a strong presence at the front. Meanwhile, Maxim Rehm and Abbi Pulling secured third and fourth respectively, separated by only 0.023 seconds. This ensured that all three Rodin entries lined up inside the top four, underlining the team’s depth and consistency.
Behind them, Deagen Fairclough led the Hitech challenge in fifth, just over a tenth behind Pulling. Rowan Campbell-Pilling followed in sixth, making the third row an all-British pairing for race one.
Further down the order, Kyuho Lee secured seventh, while Jin Nakamura, Patricio Gonzalez and Leon Wilson completed the top ten. Notably, only 0.683 seconds covered the top ten drivers, while the entire field remained within just over two seconds. Therefore, even the smallest improvement proved decisive.
Qualifying 1 – Full Results (Provisional)
- Nikita Bedrin (VRD Racing) – 1m50.123s
- Martin Molnar (Rodin Motorsport) +0.035s
- Maxim Rehm (Rodin Motorsport) +0.215s
- Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport) +0.238s
- Deagen Fairclough (Hitech) +0.350s
- Rowan Campbell-Pilling (Xcel Motorsport) +0.416s
- Kyuho Lee (Elite Motorsport) +0.478s
- Jin Nakamura (Hitech) +0.613s
- Patricio Gonzalez (VRD Racing) +0.665s
- Leon Wilson (Arden Motorsport) +0.683s
- Lucas Fluxa (Xcel Motorsport) +0.719s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez (VRD Racing) +0.775s
- Flynn Jackes (Elite Motorsport) +0.867s
- Yuhao Fu (Hitech) +1.011s
- Alex Kattoulas (Fortec Motorsports) +1.074s
- Dante Vinci (Hillspeed) +1.149s
- Kirill Kutskov (Elite Motorsport) +1.476s
- Peter Bouzinelos (Hillspeed) +1.490s
- Aurelia Nobels (Hillspeed) +1.623s
- Jason Pribyl (Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing) +1.798s
- Jack Taylor (Fortec Motorsports) +2.070s
- Ricardo Baptista (Xcel Motorsport) +2.137s
- Lewis Gilbert (Arden Motorsport) +2.476s
2026 GB3: Silverstone: Qualifying 2: Bedrin extends advantage
While Qualifying 1 proved extremely tight, the second session saw Bedrin elevate his performance further. He improved by an impressive seven tenths of a second to record a 1m49.402s lap, comfortably securing his second pole of the weekend.
This time, Deagen Fairclough emerged as the closest challenger. The Hitech driver made one of the biggest gains between sessions, improving by 0.839 seconds to claim second place, although he remained 0.232 seconds adrift of Bedrin.
Behind them, Rodin Motorsport once again demonstrated its strength in depth. Rehm, Molnar and Pulling filled third, fourth and fifth positions respectively, yet they were separated by a remarkable margin of just 0.004 seconds. Such minimal differences highlighted the precision required at the front of the grid.
Meanwhile, Patricio Gonzalez delivered a standout improvement to secure sixth, gaining three positions compared to Qualifying 1 and reducing his deficit to just over four tenths from pole. Rowan Campbell-Pilling followed closely in seventh, missing out on sixth by only 0.005 seconds.
Further back, Lucas Fluxa claimed eighth, while Nakamura and Lee completed the top ten. Importantly, just over half a second separated second from tenth, reinforcing how competitive the field remains.
Qualifying 2 – Full Results (Provisional)
- Nikita Bedrin (VRD Racing) – 1m49.402s
- Deagen Fairclough (Hitech) +0.232s
- Maxim Rehm (Rodin Motorsport) +0.270s
- Martin Molnar (Rodin Motorsport) +0.273s
- Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport) +0.274s
- Patricio Gonzalez (VRD Racing) +0.410s
- Rowan Campbell-Pilling (Xcel Motorsport) +0.415s
- Lucas Fluxa (Xcel Motorsport) +0.539s
- Jin Nakamura (Hitech) +0.589s
- Kyuho Lee (Elite Motorsport) +0.769s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez (VRD Racing) +0.876s
- Flynn Jackes (Elite Motorsport) +0.989s
- Alex Kattoulas (Fortec Motorsports) +1.065s
- Leon Wilson (Arden Motorsport) +1.180s
- Dante Vinci (Hillspeed) +1.192s
- Yuhao Fu (Hitech) +1.323s
- Kirill Kutskov (Elite Motorsport) +1.463s
- Peter Bouzinelos (Hillspeed) +1.534s
- Aurelia Nobels (Hillspeed) +1.573s
- Ricardo Baptista (Xcel Motorsport) +1.730s
- Jason Pribyl (Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing) +1.806s
- Jack Taylor (Fortec Motorsports) +2.269s
- Lewis Gilbert (Arden Motorsport) – No time set
A competitive season begins
Bedrin’s double pole has immediately positioned him as the driver to beat. His ability to extract additional performance in the second session demonstrated both confidence and control under pressure.
However, the broader picture suggests a highly competitive season ahead. Rodin Motorsport placed all three drivers consistently near the front, while Hitech and Xcel also showed strong pace across both sessions. Moreover, the incredibly tight margins throughout the field indicate that no position remains secure.
Therefore, although Bedrin leads the way into the opening races, the fight for victories—and ultimately the championship—promises to remain intense and unpredictable.
