GB3 Preview: Red Bull Ring
- Rohan Brown
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
GB3 returns this weekend, for Round 4 at the Red Bull Ring. After an eventful weekend at the Hungaroring, will this famous Formula One venue meet expectations? Only time will tell.
Circuit guide
This will be the first time GB3 races in the Styrian mountains at the Red Bull Ring. Alongside the season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, it represents GB3’s focus on becoming a more prominent feeder series to places such as Formula Regional and Formula 3.
Operating in its current configuration since 2011, the track is a well-known and established venue across motorsports series.
The circuit is 2.69 miles (4.62 km), and made up of 10 corners. It is a mostly quick lap throughout, with the slowest corner being the long braking zone up the hill to Turn 3.
For the newer Tatuus MSV GB3-025 cars introduced in 2025, the flowing layout of the Red Bull Ring opens up plenty of overtaking opportunities - but the main three overtaking areas will most likely be Turns 1, 3 and 4. All are long braking zones at the end of extensive straights.
Major talking points
Will Deagen Fairclough’s fortunes change?
The 2026 GB3 season has been a tough one for 2024 British Formula 4 champion Deagen Fairclough. In his second GB3 campaign, the British driver has only scored points in three out of eight completed rounds.
Fairclough had a mixed weekend at the Hungaroring, winning Race 1, but retiring from Races 2 and 3. The former because of a mysterious cause that slowed his Hitech car, and the latter due to damage sustained in an incident at turn one on the opening lap.
Fairclough is a proven driver in the GB3 championship, and finished third in the drivers’ championship standings last season. And this weekend certainly has the pace and experience to challenge for results at the top end of the grid.
Rowan Campbell-Pilling’s mixed results
It was confirmed that Rowan Campbell-Pilling managed to score his first GB3 podium. This was because Maxim Rehm was handed a one-place penalty for operating his drag reduction system on his car before completing one full lap on the safety car restart, where he overtook Campbell-Pilling.
This is a major result for the Xcel Motorsport driver, currently in his maiden GB3 season after stepping up from F4-level competition.
Currently eighth in the drivers’ championship standings, his season has been one of respectable midfield results. In every other race he has scored points in, it has only ever been fifth or seventh for the British driver.
It represents the difficulty of stepping up to GB3 machinery faced by many on the grid, and how the Xcel Motorsports driver has stepped up the close-level of competition.
With the Red Bull Ring promising close wheel-to-wheel racing this weekend, another podium is a possibility for Campbell-Pilling.
Bedrin’s runaway championship charge
Drivers’ championship leader Nikita Bedrin has almost got one hand on the title at this point in the season, as he is already 68 points ahead in the standings. For a driver in their debut GB3 season, such dominance is very uncommon.
Bedrin himself is an experienced driver along the feeder series ladder, with an F3 win under his belt, alongside success in the FRECA and Italian F4 to go with his resounding start to GB3 in 2026.
He made significant gains in Round 3, finishing second before following up with a win in the first two races of the weekend. Such would be the results most drivers on the grid dream of, but this level of success has come to be the norm for the Italian driver.
Weekend timings and where to watch
You can watch every GB3 race live on the MSV TV YouTube channel, although for every other session, there is no other form of live coverage.
Here is the schedule for round four:
Thursday, 9th July:
09:20 - 10:05 = Session 1
11:05 - 11:55 = Session 2
14:00 -14:55 - Session 3
Friday, 10th July:
08:30 - 09:00 = Session 1
13:00 - 13.30 = Session 2
17:25 - 17.55 = Session 3
Saturday, 11th July:
10:20 = Qualifying 1
10:40 = Qualifying 2
14:25 = Race 1
Sunday, 12th July:
09:55 = Race 2
14:15 = Race 3
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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