2026 | GB3 | Silverstone | Race 1 | Bedrin battles back to claim opening win

Spread the love

Nikita Bedrin produced a determined recovery drive to win the opening race of the 2026 GB3 Championship season at the Silverstone Circuit, despite losing ground from pole position at the start. The VRD Racing driver dropped as far as fourth off the line, allowing both Rodin Motorsport cars of Martin Molnar and Maxim Rehm to surge ahead, along with Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough.

However, Bedrin quickly recovered. He regained momentum through the opening laps and executed a series of aggressive but controlled overtakes to return to podium contention. Moreover, he showed strong pace in traffic, gradually closing the gap to the leading group.

The defining moment came on lap six, when Bedrin moved onto the back of race leader Molnar. After building pressure through successive laps, he launched a decisive late-braking move into Vale, sweeping past to reclaim the lead.

Once in front, Bedrin immediately demonstrated his pace advantage. As a result, he began to extend his margin at roughly a second per lap before a safety car on lap nine neutralised his advantage following Dante Vinci’s retirement.

Despite the interruption, Bedrin remained composed. He controlled the restart effectively and rebuilt his lead, ultimately securing victory and delivering VRD Racing’s first GB3 win since Zandvoort last season.

Early chaos shapes opening laps and lead battle in Race 1 of the 2026 GB3 Championship Silverstone opener

The race began with immediate drama as Bedrin slipped from pole into fourth, while the Rodin pair capitalised on a strong launch to take control. Molnar initially moved into the lead, with Rehm slotting into second and Fairclough briefly joining the podium fight.

As the field settled, the opening laps developed into a tightly packed battle. Through Maggots and Becketts, Molnar and Rehm edged clear of the chasing pack, while Fairclough and Bedrin engaged in a close scrap behind them.

Contact between Fairclough and Bedrin at Chapel briefly disrupted the VRD driver’s progress, forcing him onto the run-off. However, he recovered immediately and executed a swift counterattack into Stowe to retake position.

At this stage, Molnar benefited from the intense fighting behind him. He built a 2.7-second advantage as the battles continued, creating a temporary buffer at the front of the field.

Nevertheless, Bedrin’s pace soon became evident. He began to close the gap steadily, reducing the margin through a series of consistently fast laps before launching his decisive move for the lead.

Safety Car resets strategy before controlled finish

A Safety Car on lap nine, triggered by Dante Vinci’s retirement, temporarily halted Bedrin’s charge and erased his growing advantage. However, it also brought the field back together for a final phase of racing.

The restart on lap 11 proved crucial. Bedrin reacted cleanly and immediately re-established control at the front, avoiding any challenge from behind as the race resumed at full speed. From that point onwards, he managed the race expertly. Although Molnar and Rehm attempted to remain within striking distance, neither driver could reduce the gap enough to mount a challenge in the closing laps.

Behind the leaders, Fairclough continued to pressure Rehm for third. The Hitech driver showed intent with several attempts into Brooklands, but the battle ultimately stabilised before the safety car intervention and did not resume in full. As a result, the top positions remained unchanged through to the chequered flag, with Bedrin comfortably controlling the final phase of the race to secure victory.

Midfield battles and final classification

Further down the order, competitive battles continued throughout the field. Rowan Campbell-Pilling impressed on his GB3 debut by finishing fifth, while VRD Racing teammate Patricio Gonzalez secured sixth to strengthen the team’s overall result. Behind them, Kyuho Lee, Jin Nakamura, Alex Kattoulas and Leon Wilson completed the top ten after a tightly fought midfield contest.

In the lower points positions, multiple groups battled closely, including Xcel Motorsport, Hitech and Hillspeed entries, with several positional changes occurring through the middle sector in the final laps.

Despite some retirements affecting the back of the field, most notably Abbi Pulling, Dante Vinci and Flynn Jackes, the majority of runners completed the race distance and gathered valuable early-season data.

Bedrin converts pace into opening victory

Although Bedrin did not hold the lead at the start, he ultimately converted strong race pace and decisive overtaking into a controlled victory. His ability to recover from fourth position, combined with a well-timed move on Molnar and strong pace management after the safety car, defined the outcome of the race.

Meanwhile, Rodin Motorsport and Hitech both demonstrated competitive pace at the front, suggesting that the fight for victories will remain closely contested throughout the weekend.

Ultimately, Bedrin’s performance set an early benchmark for the GB3 season, combining resilience, racecraft and outright speed to secure a statement win at Silverstone.