Rowan Campbell-Pilling hopes to turn his impressive pace into stronger results when the 2026 GB3 Championship begins a run of three successive British rounds at Silverstone.
The Xcel Motorsport driver endured a mixed weekend at the Red Bull Ring despite qualifying fourth for both of the opening races. Nevertheless, he gained valuable knowledge in Austria and now approaches the second half of the season with renewed confidence.
Strong pace brings limited reward in Austria
Campbell-Pilling immediately established himself among the leading contenders at the Red Bull Ring by securing fourth place in both qualifying sessions.
However, he slipped down the order during the opening race and eventually finished 14th. He then responded in race two and crossed the line in third, but 15 seconds of track-limit penalties dropped him to eighth in the final classification.
Although the results frustrated him, Campbell-Pilling believes the weekend gave him a deeper understanding of the Tatuus MSV GB3-025.
“The pace has been there in abundance,” said Campbell-Pilling to GB3. “The races weren’t how we wanted them to go, which is a negative, but also the positive from that is that I probably learnt more that weekend about the car, the longevity of the tyre and the degradation than I have all season so far.”
Those lessons could prove valuable during the remaining rounds as Campbell-Pilling and Xcel continue to develop during their first GB3 campaign together.
Learning process strengthens Campbell-Pilling
Campbell-Pilling acknowledged that he and the team still need to complete some fine-tuning before the next round. However, the Sheffield native believes every challenge has helped them make progress.
The Austrian event took the championship towards the halfway stage of the season, giving Campbell-Pilling an opportunity to reflect on his development so far.
“It’s flown by really,” he said. “It’s been an awful lot of learning but every time we have made a mistake, we’ve come back from it stronger.”
His speed in qualifying has highlighted his potential, while difficult races have taught him more about tyre management, car behaviour and the demands of competing in GB3.
Consequently, Campbell-Pilling will aim to combine those lessons with cleaner execution during the second half of the campaign.
British rounds provide welcome opportunity
GB3 will now return to Britain for three consecutive rounds, beginning with another visit to Silverstone.
Campbell-Pilling enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season at the circuit during April’s opening round. He recorded two fifth-place finishes and a seventh, giving him three solid results at the Home of British Motorsport.
Therefore, the return to familiar surroundings offers an encouraging opportunity for the Xcel driver to build momentum.
“It’ll be great to have so many home races,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be the same approach as we have been taking all year: working hard behind the scenes, turning up to the track, executing it well and seeing where we are from there.”
Rather than changing his preparation, Campbell-Pilling plans to continue the methodical approach that has helped him and Xcel progress throughout the year.
Silverstone challenge excites Campbell-Pilling
Campbell-Pilling also looks forward to experiencing the speed of the latest-generation GB3 car around Silverstone once again.
The circuit’s high-speed layout allows the Tatuus MSV GB3-025 to showcase its downforce and power, while its changing conditions can test drivers throughout a race weekend.
“It’s an incredibly fun car with an awful lot of downforce and power,” he said. “Whether it is in the wet or the dry, it definitely keeps you on your toes. It’s great fun and looking forward to seeing what we can do there.”
After leaving Austria with mixed emotions but valuable knowledge, Campbell-Pilling will now target a cleaner weekend at Silverstone and a positive start to GB3’s three-round British run.
