Jackes takes maiden win after dramatic reverse grid GB3 race

Flynn Jackes takes his first win after 49 races in GB3 | Credit: GB3 official website

Flynn Jackes got his first GB3 Championship race win in a dramatic reverse grid race at the Hungaroring. 

The race started in usual GB3 form, with all the grid jostling for position going into the first corner - Spanish driver Lucas Fluxa managed to gain four positions throughout the opening part of lap one. 

But this was all upended after the first of three safety cars was deployed, this was due to Daegen Fairclough’s spell of bad luck continuing - the British driver retired on-track due to damage sustained at turn one on lap one. It wasn’t just Fairclough who retired, Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling was forced to withdraw from the race too due to damage sustained after being hit by the Hitech driver.

This first safety car was not too long, as Flynn Jackes executed the first of many consistently strong restarts - as the car behind him was eager to get moving. 

Fluxa was battling close for second place, despite not being able to match the pace of Jackes the Spanish driver had a strong race - finishing second after starting in seventh place. It is important to note drivers gain one point for each overtake they complete in the reverse third race of each weekend.

DRS was enabled after the safety car period with 18 minutes and 36 seconds to go - and Maxim Rehm used it to full effect when fighting closely for 9th place. The German driver was certainly in need of points after being forced to retire in race two due to unknown circumstances.

At the 17-minute mark, Peter Bouzinelos was handed a 10-second time penalty for a false start, although this did not have too much effect due to events that happened later in the race. 

Jackes’s pace throughout race three was quick, with 15 minutes to go he was setting a lap time 1.1s quicker than Fluxa in second place.

Not too long after, drivers’ championship leader Nikita Bedrin went for a daring move on Hitech’s Jacob Micallef, although it seemed that the former didn’t intend to go for the overtake initially. The Italian driver locked all four wheels going for the overtake into turn one, pushing Micallef wide and making him lose a few positions.

Kyuho Lee unfortunately went into the barrier at turn 12, which brought out the second safety car period. Leader Jackes pulled off another strong restart, pulling the gap to half a tenth straight after.

The safety cars weren’t gone for too long, Bouzinelos attempted an overtake around the outside of his teammate Aurelia Nobels but was sadly clipped on his rear at turn one, and was unable to get his car going causing the final one.

This race almost ended under the final safety car, but there was one last lap in the end.

Bar Rehm going for a daring move to take away Rowan-Campbell Pilling’s shot at a podium the action had calmed down.

In the end Jackes secured his first ever GB3 race win after 49 races. In post-race he said that: “I remember the heartbreak from Silverstone, misfortunes from Spa”. 

GB3 returns next weekend (9-12th July) at the Red Bull Ring.