2024 British F4 champion Deagen Fairclough put the upgraded Tatuus MSV GB3-025 car through its paces today, setting a new lap record for Hitech on the opening day of the GB3 Championship’s official pre-season test at Snetterton.
The series began its pre-season running with four sessions at the Norfolk circuit, marking the first opportunity for teams to test the new 2026-spec machinery.
The 2026 GB3 cars feature several upgrades over the 2025 version, including a new 2.4-litre higher-torque engine and aerodynamic refinements.
Felipe Nasr had held the record at the circuit since his lap in 2011, until today. Fairclough’s lap was just over seven tenths faster, as he posted a lap time of 1m38.428s.
The 19-year-old, entering his second season in GB3, also finished two tenths of a second clear of Rodin Motorsport’s Maxim Rehm.
Cole Hewetson completed the top three for Xcel Motorsport. Meanwhile, Abbi Pulling was also inside the top five as she prepares for her second season with Rodin.
A total of 21 drivers took part in today’s running, with testing set to continue on Wednesday with another four sessions.
Top ten
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech – 1m38.428s
- Maxim Rehm – Rodin Motorsport +0.205s
- Cole Hewetson – Xcel Motorsport +0.508s
- Edu Robinson – Elite Motorsport +0.534s
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport +0.604s
- Dante Vinci – Arden Motorsport +0.671s
- Noah Lisle – Hitech +0.899s
- Kyuho Lee – Elite Motorsport +1.016s
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport +1.093s
- Rowan Campbell-Pilling – Xcel Motorsport +1.203s
Click here for the full classification.
Feature image: Jess Coulsell
