GB3 Preview: Round 3 at the Hungaroring
- Rohan Brown
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
After a long wait since round 2 at Spa Francorchamps, the GB3 Championship returns this weekend for round 3 at the Hungaroring.
It’s all to fight for in both championships, Rodin Motorsport and VRD are both tied at 217 points in the lead of the teams’ leaderboard. It’s just as close in the drivers’, with the departure of Jin Nakamura from GB3, that leaves a bigger gap for runaway favourites Nikita Bedrin and Maxim Rehm to fight for the title in the pinnacle of British junior open wheel racing.
Circuit guide
The Hungaroring is a 4.381 kilometre (2.722 miles) long circuit located just outside of the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Best known as a Formula One mainstay since its inception 50 years ago, GB3 has produced many highlights since it first visited this venue in 2024.
It is comprised of 14 corners, most of which offer great chances for battling and overtaking. With the aid of the drag reduction system (DRS), turn 1 of all locations will be the prime spot for overtaking, combined with the rest of the first sector, means this track is hardly the ‘Monaco without walls’ it has the reputation for in other series.
Over the past 2 years, the circuit has produced many competitive qualifying sessions and unforgettable battles. Last year, the top five in both qualifying sessions were separated by less than five tenths.
Major talking points
Aurelia Nobels aims for a clean slate at Hungary
Aurelia Nobels has had a rocky start since stepping up from F1 Academy at the start of this year. With only 20 points scored so far this season, 21st in the drivers’ championship - the Brazilian driver has had a rockier but consistent start in GB3 machinery.
Despite where she stands in the drivers’ championship, Nobels has posted many respectable race results in GB3 so far. With a record result of 14th at race one in Spa Francorchamps, combined with a few other 15th place finishes at Silverstone and other Spa races.
The Brazilian driver is aiming for a clean slate, in an interview with the official GB3 website she commented that: “I know I have the potential to be there. I know I have the speed, we just need to maximise everything and find the right setup.”
Going into round 3, Nobels will be hoping to build on a respectable opening campaign up to this point, whilst aiming to assert herself as Hillspeed’s number one driver (currently trailing by seven points in the drivers’ championship to teammate Dante Vinci and ahead of Peter Bouzinelos).
Martin Molnar’s debut home race
Hometown hero Martin Molnar is the first ever Hungarian driver to participate in GB3, so he will be hoping his first race on home soil will make up the advantage he needs to secure his first ever GB3 Championship win.
Throughout his debut campaign in the championship, Molnar has proven capable of producing many strong results across both rounds. Such strong form has left him fourth in the drivers’ championship, with standouts results being his second-place finishes in Silverstone (race one) and Spa (race one).
Ahead of his home race, Molnar commented that: “I’ve been preparing for this since Spa, I have done a few sim days so I’m feeling ready and really excited for the round, and hopefully it’s going to go well.
We'll find out soon, but I cannot wait to start the weekend!”
Being 4th in the drivers’ championship (de facto 3rd after Nakamura’s departure for Formula 3), round 3 could be a turning point for Molnar. Ultimately this weekend at the Hungaroring could be make-or-break for the Hungarian driver.
How will Jacob Micallef perform on his GB3 debut?
Round 3 will be Jacob Micallef’s debut in GB3, after it was recently announced that he would join Hitech following a successful first impressions with the team and car at the recent Snetterton test.
The Maltese driver has big shoes to fill after Nakamura made the decision to commit fully to his F3 campaign, but his recent results signify that this is certainly possible. Despite finishing 16th on day one, but 6th on day two - Micallef was the fastest out of the three testing debutants.
Hitech themselves are a force to be reckoned with, currently third in the teams' championship. Micallef will be joining their formidable driver lineup of Daegan Fairclough and Yuhao Fu. Will Micallef help Hitech challenge for the teams' championship? Only time will tell.
GB3 Weekend timings and where to watch
This round will take place over four days, from Thursday to Sunday.
(All times are in local time, CEST)
Thursday 2nd July:
09:00 - 09:30 = Session 1
12:26 - 12:56 = Session 2
16:40 - 17:10 = Session 3
Friday 3rd July:
08:30 - 09:00 = Free practice 1
12:40 - 13:10 = Free practice 2
18:25 - 18:55 = Free practice 3
Saturday 4th July:
09:00 = Qualifying 1
09:20 = Qualifying 2
13:30 = Race 1
Sunday 5th July
11:10 = Race 2
18:10 = Race 3
You can watch all GB3 Championship races (including this upcoming Round 3) on the MSV TV YouTube Channel.
Round 3 at the Hungaroring is this weekend, from July 2nd to July 5th.
Edited by Rohan Brown
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