Deagen Fairclough says he is ready to apply pressure to championship leader Nikita Bedrin after claiming pole position for Race 2 at Donington Park and extending his impressive pace from pre-event testing.
The Hitech driver entered Saturday as the clear favourite after topping all six testing sessions across Thursday and Friday, but Bedrin denied him the opening pole by just 0.056s. Fairclough responded in Qualifying 2 with a 1m20.107s, establishing a new GB3 lap record around Donington and beating the VRD Racing driver by 0.069s.
The results leave Fairclough and Bedrin sharing the front row in both races, setting up another direct contest between the two principal championship protagonists.
Fairclough responds after missing Race 1 pole
Fairclough had appeared almost untouchable throughout testing, culminating in a Friday benchmark more than four tenths quicker than his nearest rival. Bedrin immediately reduced that advantage once Qualifying began and produced the fastest lap of Q1.
Fairclough came within 0.056s but felt a yellow flag interfered with what could have been his strongest attempt. Rather than dwelling on the missed opportunity, he focused on the second session and produced the quickest lap of the weekend.
“This weekend’s been very good so far but Nikita was able to step it up in qualifying. We had a yellow flag on my best lap in Q1, but we kept our head down and we had a good Q2 and I was able to set a lap record.”
Qualifying 2 included two Red Flag interruptions, but Fairclough completed his 1m20.107s during the limited green-flag running between the stoppages. The time proved enough to give him Race 2 pole and restore Hitech to the head of the order.
Fairclough looking forward to 2026 GB3 Donington fight
Fairclough’s testing pace suggests he should possess the performance needed to challenge for victory, but racing conditions will create a different test from the clear-air laps that defined the build-up. With Bedrin alongside him for both races, Fairclough expects the narrow margins seen in Qualifying to carry over into competitive action.
“I’m looking forward to it this weekend, and it’s it’s going to be a good race.”
The first opportunity comes with Fairclough starting second behind Bedrin in Race 1. Their positions reverse for Race 2, giving the Hitech driver the advantage from pole while the championship leader lines up directly alongside.
Fairclough believes pressure sits with Bedrin
Fairclough enters the races knowing he has more reason to attack than his championship rival. Bedrin carries the points advantage and therefore has more to lose from an incident, while Fairclough needs to continue closing the gap as the season progresses.
The Hitech driver openly recognises that difference and believes the championship remains Bedrin’s to lose. He intends to race aggressively while ensuring their fight remains clean.
“It’s his [Bedrin’s] championship to lose. So we’ll see if we can get our elbows out and hopefully it’s a clean and good battle. This weekend, the pace has been really good in general, so we’re just need to see how the race and the dirty air plans out. Hopefully we can find some sneaky lines so that we can challenge a move on Nikita.”
Dirty air could become particularly important around Donington, with following closely through the faster sections potentially compromising Fairclough’s ability to convert his testing advantage into an overtaking opportunity.
Finding alternative lines could prove crucial
Fairclough believes he may need to experiment with different approaches if he finds himself following Bedrin during the races.
His outright pace has been clear throughout the weekend, but Qualifying demonstrated that Bedrin can match him when conditions count. The challenge will now be maintaining enough performance while following another car to create a genuine passing opportunity.
That dynamic adds significance to the opening laps, when both drivers will have their clearest chance to establish track position before tyre behaviour and dirty air begin influencing the race.
Fairclough’s Race 2 pole gives him the strongest opportunity to dictate proceedings from the front, while Race 1 will require him to immediately apply pressure to Bedrin from second.
Fairclough aims to convert testing dominance into 2026 GB3 Donington victories
Despite topping every test session, Fairclough knows that none of those results carry championship points. Qualifying produced one pole each for the title rivals, leaving the races to determine whether his underlying pace can finally translate into a meaningful gain on Bedrin.
The Hitech driver has already demonstrated his speed by setting the new Donington benchmark, but he now faces the more complicated task of racing against a rival who can afford to prioritise consistency.
That contrast could define the weekend. Bedrin has every reason to minimise unnecessary risk, while Fairclough intends to use his pace, his front-row starting positions and potentially some “sneaky lines” to keep the pressure firmly on the championship leader.
