Momentum continues to build ahead of the 2026 GB3 season opener, and Deagen Fairclough has already laid down a clear marker during Thursday’s pre-event testing at Silverstone.
The Hitech driver, who celebrated his 20th birthday on the same day, delivered an impressive performance by topping two of the three sessions. Crucially, he saved his best effort for the final run of the afternoon, where he posted a 1m50.477s lap to finish comfortably clear at the top of the timesheets.
As a result, Fairclough heads into the remainder of the weekend with both confidence and momentum firmly on his side.
Chasing pack close behind
While Fairclough controlled the headline pace, the battle behind him remained tight and highly competitive. Nikita Bedrin emerged as his closest challenger, placing second for VRD Racing, albeit 0.475 seconds adrift.
Just behind, Rowan Campbell-Pilling delivered a strong showing for Xcel Motorsport. Notably, he set his fastest lap in the opening session, making him the only driver in the top six not to improve in the final session. Nevertheless, he finished just 0.021 seconds behind Bedrin, underlining the close margins at the front.
Rodin Motorsport shows strength in depth
Rodin Motorsport demonstrated impressive consistency by placing three drivers inside the top six. Maxim Rehm led the team’s charge in fourth, narrowly ahead of teammate Abbi Pulling, who had earlier topped the second session.
Meanwhile, Martin Molnar completed a strong team effort in sixth, ensuring Rodin locked out positions four, five and six. This collective performance highlights the team’s depth and suggests they will play a major role throughout the race weekend.
Tight margins across the top 10
Further down the order, the competition remained just as intense. Leon Wilson impressed as the leading Arden Motorsport driver in seventh, continuing his adaptation after stepping up from GB4.
Behind him, Jin Nakamura continued to build experience with the Hitech squad, finishing eighth, while Dante Vinci and Jack Taylor rounded out the top ten for Hillspeed and Fortec Motorsports respectively.
Importantly, the top 10 drivers were covered by just 0.888 seconds, emphasising how competitive the field already looks ahead of qualifying.
2026 GB3 Silverstone Thursday testing top 10 (combined)
- Deagen Fairclough (Hitech) – 1m50.477s
- Nikita Bedrin (VRD Racing) +0.475s
- Rowan Campbell-Pilling (Xcel Motorsport) +0.496s
- Maxim Rehm (Rodin Motorsport) +0.512s
- Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport) +0.513s
- Martin Molnar (Rodin Motorsport) +0.555s
- Leon Wilson (Arden Motorsport) +0.688s
- Jin Nakamura (Hitech) +0.701s
- Dante Vinci (Hillspeed) +0.790s
- Jack Taylor (Fortec Motorsports) +0.888s
Focus shifts to final preparations
Testing continues on Friday with two further sessions, giving teams one last opportunity to refine their setups before qualifying begins on Saturday.
Consequently, while Fairclough has struck first, the margins suggest that several drivers remain firmly in contention. As the competitive action approaches, the stage is set for a closely fought start to the 2026 GB3 Championship season.
