Maxim Rehm believes improving his one-lap performance will prove crucial as he targets second place in the GB3 Championship during the final three rounds of the 2026 season.
The Rodin Motorsport driver has established himself as one of the championship’s most consistent performers, collecting five podiums from the opening 15 races while finishing every race he has completed inside the top eight. However, several difficult moments and retirements have prevented him from fully capitalising on that pace, leaving him fourth in the standings heading into the summer break.
Rehm already demonstrated his potential when he won during his GB3 debut at Monza last season, and his first full campaign has reinforced that promise. With Donington Park, Brands Hatch and Barcelona still to come, the German now wants to turn his consistency into a stronger championship position.
Rehm identifies Qualifying as main area for improvement in 2026 GB3 Championship
Qualifying has generally been one of Rehm’s strengths, with the Rodin driver starting outside the top five on only two occasions. However, he believes extracting more from individual laps remains the area where he can make the most meaningful improvement.
That became particularly clear at Silverstone, where he qualified seventh in the opening session despite feeling that his underlying pace could have placed him much higher.
“I think we had a strong base-line pace [at Silverstone], but in the first Qualifying I didn’t put my sectors together, otherwise we would have ended up P2 and that would have changed the outcome of the weekend.
“I think we showed we have the race pace, but in the third race it was just a bit messy because my tyres were gone so I was just defending for my life basically.
“Knowing that I just need to get my qualifying right, and then in the races we’re quite OK.”
Rehm’s comments underline the fine margins that have shaped his season. His race pace has regularly allowed him to recover positions, but starting closer to the front would reduce the need for those fightback drives and give him a better opportunity to convert his speed into victories.
Championship runner-up spot becomes clear target
Despite the setbacks that have affected his points total, Rehm remains firmly among the leading drivers in the championship. Sitting fourth with three rounds remaining, he has set himself an ambitious but clear target for the closing phase.
“Obviously the goal is going to be getting second place in the championship at Donington, Brands and Barcelona. There are still three rounds to go, so I’ll be working hard in the summer break to get there, and we’ll see what happens.”
That objective reflects both his consistency and the potential shown throughout the season. Rehm has already proved capable of challenging for podiums across different circuits, while his strongest weekends have kept him within reach of those immediately ahead in the standings.
The challenge now involves turning strong underlying performance into more complete weekends, particularly through Qualifying.
Recovery drives underline strong race pace
Rehm’s ability to move through the field has become one of the defining features of his campaign. The Hungaroring provided perhaps the clearest example when he recovered from ninth on the grid to finish third despite the circuit’s reputation for making overtaking difficult.
That experience initially left him optimistic when he started further back than expected at Silverstone. However, the characteristics of the race produced a very different challenge.
“At the Hungaroring I went from P9 to P3, so I did a lot of places, and normally it’s very difficult to overtake there.
“So when we had a bad quali at Silverstone, I thought it would be quite easy to catch up some places, but in the DRS train it was very difficult to pass people. It was very hot and tyre wear went against me, after five laps you were kind of stuck where you were!”
The comparison reinforced why Rehm places so much importance on improving his Qualifying execution. While strong race pace can create recovery opportunities, factors such as DRS trains, tyre degradation and track position can quickly limit how much progress remains possible.
Summer break centres on preparation for Donington
Rehm will not have any testing before GB3 resumes at Donington Park, meaning much of his preparation will take place away from the physical car.
Instead, he plans to use simulator work and training to maintain his fitness while increasing his familiarity with Donington ahead of the next event.
“I’ll be doing a lot of sim stuff and going to the gym, that’s basically all you can do, we’ve got no test days scheduled in between.
“I’ll just keep myself fit, and also get to know Donington better on the sim, and I think we’ll be very well prepared for the races.”
The lack of track time places greater importance on maximising that preparation before the championship resumes. For Rehm, Donington provides the first opportunity to demonstrate whether the work completed during the break can help him make the Qualifying gains he believes remain necessary.
With five podiums already secured and his race pace established, the foundations of Rehm’s season remain strong. The final three rounds will now determine whether he can convert that consistency into the runner-up championship position he has set as his target.
