Deagen Fairclough claimed his first two GB3 Championship pole positions of the season at Silverstone, moving himself into contention for the 2026 Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup.
The Hitech driver produced a commanding performance across both Qualifying sessions at the British Grand Prix venue. He comfortably secured pole for Race 1 before leaving his decisive effort until the closing seconds of the second session to deny Xcel Motorsport’s Rowan Campbell-Pilling.
Fairclough then converted both poles into victories, completing a perfect opening two races of the Silverstone weekend and taking his 2026 win tally to three. His Qualifying double also earned him £600 in prize money and two trophies from award founder John Cavill.
Fairclough dominates opening Qualifying session
Fairclough arrived at Silverstone looking to put a difficult start to the season behind him, and he immediately established himself as the driver to beat during Saturday morning’s opening Qualifying session.
The Hitech driver controlled the session and ultimately claimed Race 1 pole by almost two tenths of a second. It marked his first GB3 pole position and gave him the ideal opportunity to begin turning his season around at one of the championship’s most important venues.
He subsequently converted that advantage into victory in Race 1, recovering the lead after an early challenge and taking his second win of the campaign.
The result also ensured Fairclough immediately became a new contender in the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup standings, although he still needed another strong performance in the second Qualifying session to make a significant impact.
Late lap denies Campbell-Pilling second-session pole
Fairclough faced a considerably tougher challenge during the second Qualifying session.
Campbell-Pilling spent much of the session on course to secure pole and looked set to put his Xcel Motorsport car at the head of the Race 2 grid. However, Fairclough kept his final effort until the last possible moment.
The Hitech driver produced a 1m49.714s lap in the closing seconds and displaced Campbell-Pilling by 0.141s. The result completed a Silverstone Qualifying sweep and gave Fairclough two poles from the same weekend.
He again made full use of the starting position in Race 2. Campbell-Pilling remained within DRS range for much of the race, but Fairclough controlled the gap and eventually won by 0.969s to complete his second victory of the weekend.
As a result, Fairclough leaves Silverstone with three wins for the season and two pole positions from an event that transformed the direction of his campaign.
Fairclough collects £600 for pole double
Fairclough’s two pole positions also delivered a substantial reward through the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup.
Each pole earned him £300, giving the Hitech driver £600 in total prize money across the Silverstone weekend. He also received two trophies, which John Cavill presented.
The championship awards prize money throughout the season before recognising the driver who finishes the campaign with the most pole positions. That driver will receive the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup together with a £2,000 prize.
The winning driver’s team will also receive £2,000, creating an additional incentive for both competitors and teams as the Qualifying battle develops over the remaining events.
Bedrin retains Jack Cavill Cup advantage
Despite Fairclough’s Silverstone double, championship leader Nikita Bedrin continues to hold a clear advantage in the Pole Position Cup.
The VRD Racing driver has claimed five poles this season and therefore remains three ahead of his nearest challengers. However, Fairclough has now joined Rodin Motorsport’s Martin Molnar on two poles, placing the pair level as Bedrin’s closest pursuers.
Molnar had already established himself among the leading contenders before Silverstone, while Fairclough’s two-pole weekend immediately moved him alongside the Rodin driver.
Abbi Pulling remains the only other driver to have claimed a pole this season. The Rodin Motorsport driver sits behind the leading trio with one.
Fairclough will therefore need to continue his Silverstone Qualifying form during the remaining rounds if he wants to close the three-pole gap to Bedrin.
Jack Cavill award continues long-standing driver support
The Pole Position Cup carries a long association with junior single-seater racing through the Cavill family.
John Cavill is the son of Jack Cavill, who became known for supporting underfunded racing drivers from the 1960s onwards. John subsequently followed his father’s example and has continued supporting young drivers through motorsport.
The Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup has formed part of the GB3 Championship since the series began as BRDC F4 in 2013. Since then, the award has recognised several drivers who later progressed to the highest levels of international motorsport.
Previous winners include Formula 1 title contender George Russell, IndyCar podium finisher Linus Lundqvist and current Williams Formula 1 reserve driver Luke Browning.
Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris and Haas driver Ollie Bearman have also received prizes through the award during their junior careers, underlining the calibre of drivers who have benefited from the programme.
2026 Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup standings
- Nikita Bedrin — VRD Racing — 5 poles
- Martin Molnar — Rodin Motorsport — 2 poles
=. Deagen Fairclough — Hitech — 2 poles - Abbi Pulling — Rodin Motorsport — 1 pole
Fairclough’s Silverstone performance has consequently brought another driver into the fight for the 2026 award. Although Bedrin retains a sizeable advantage, the Hitech driver’s first pole double of the year has moved him level with Molnar as the championship leader’s nearest challenger.
More importantly for Fairclough’s wider season, both poles translated directly into victories. After arriving at Silverstone searching for a breakthrough weekend, he leaves with two poles, two wins, £600 in prize money and a significantly stronger position in the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup battle.
