Nikita Bedrin retained control of the 2026 Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup after he and Deagen Fairclough shared the two pole positions available during Round 6 of the GB3 weekend at Donington Park.
The VRD Racing driver claimed his sixth pole of the season in Qualifying 1, while Fairclough responded in Qualifying 2 to record his third. Their performances strengthened their positions as the leading two drivers in the separate pole competition, with Bedrin now holding a three-pole advantage over his Hitech rival.
Martin Molnar remains third with two poles, while Abbi Pulling sits fourth with one. With two rounds remaining, Bedrin retains a significant advantage, although Fairclough’s recent Qualifying form has established him as the closest challenger.
Bedrin denies Fairclough after strong Donington testing
Fairclough arrived at Qualifying as the driver to beat after topping every pre-event test session at Donington Park. Nevertheless, Bedrin overturned that advantage when the first competitive session began.
Despite having no previous experience at the circuit before the week’s testing started, Bedrin delivered the quickest lap in Qualifying 1 and secured his sixth pole of the campaign. Only around half a tenth separated him from Fairclough, underlining how closely matched the pair remained at the front.
The pole also reinforced the consistency that has helped Bedrin control both the main Drivers’ Championship and the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup through much of 2026. While Fairclough demonstrated stronger pace during testing, Bedrin produced the decisive lap when the first grid position came into play.
Fairclough strikes back in Qualifying 2
Fairclough responded in the second session and prevented Bedrin from sweeping the weekend’s Qualifying honours.
A Red Flag shortened Qualifying 2 and reduced the time available for drivers to complete their final attempts. Even so, Fairclough produced the fastest lap and secured his third pole of the season. He also recorded the quickest GB3 lap ever completed around Donington Park in the process.
That result continued his strong recent run in Qualifying. Fairclough has now taken three poles from the last four sessions, placing increasing pressure on Bedrin in the Jack Cavill competition despite the latter still holding the stronger overall position.
The Hitech driver also converted his Qualifying 2 success into victory in Donington Park Race 2, completing a weekend in which outright speed remained one of his greatest strengths.
Bedrin retains three-pole Jack Cavill Cup advantage
Bedrin’s Donington pole takes his season tally to six, exactly twice Fairclough’s three. Molnar remains another pole behind Fairclough with two, while Pulling’s single pole completes the current list of 2026 winners.
The gap means Bedrin continues to control the competition with only the closing rounds remaining. However, Fairclough has increasingly emerged as the strongest threat after claiming three poles in four Qualifying sessions and matching Bedrin for honours at Donington.
The contest rewards outright one-lap performance independently from the Drivers’ Championship, meaning even drivers further away in the main standings can continue to challenge for the prize if they build a sufficiently strong Qualifying record.
Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup rewards Qualifying excellence
GB3 awards £300 and a trophy for each pole position, meaning both Bedrin and Fairclough collected the individual prize following their Donington performances.
The driver who finishes the season with the most poles will also receive the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup and £2,000, while the winning driver’s team will earn a further £2,000.
John Cavill presents the award in honour of his father Jack, who supported underfunded racing drivers from the 1960s onwards. John has continued that work and has partnered with GB3 through the pole competition since the championship operated as BRDC F4 in 2013.
The award also carries an impressive list of previous recipients. Former winners include George Russell, Linus Lundqvist and Luke Browning, while Lando Norris and Ollie Bearman have also received prizes through the initiative.
2026 Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup standings after Donington Park
- Nikita Bedrin — VRD Racing — 6 poles
- Deagen Fairclough — Hitech — 3
- Martin Molnar — Rodin Motorsport — 2
- Abbi Pulling — Rodin Motorsport — 1 pole.
Bedrin therefore leaves Donington with his three-pole advantage intact, but Fairclough’s recent run means the Hitech driver has established himself as the only immediate challenger entering the final two rounds.
