With pre-season testing well underway for the 2026 GB3 Championship, the upgraded Tatuus MSV GB3-025 cars have already demonstrated a significant step forward in performance, with lap record-demolishing times delivered at all venues visited so far.
The new 2.4 litre naturally aspirated Mountune engine providing a 25% increase in torque, combined with aerodynamic revisions that have generated greater downforce levels, better efficiency and lower drag, plus chassis developments with weight reductions has produced a package that’s been on average, over 2.3 seconds a lap quicker than the previous best benchmarks.
Those levels were highlighted at the recent Silverstone test, where in icy cold conditions, the upgraded machine produced a lap time of 1m49.198s, 2.449s better than last year’s best pole position time, and over 3.6 seconds faster than last year’s fastest race lap.
Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough was the driver to record the rapid lap time, and with a year’s GB3 experience under his belt, is well placed to compare the two versions of the car.
“The overall feeling is a massive step in the right direction” he acknowledges. “With more downforce and higher engine torque it’s really good fun to drive, and I’ve really enjoyed every moment in the car so far.
“Compared to last year there’s a big step in high speed corners where the extra downforce is so beneficial and then in the low speed corners you have more torque to use when exiting the corners.”
Nikita Bedrin enters GB3 having driven a huge range of single-seaters, including Formula Regional, Formula 3 and Formula E machinery. He too is massively impressed with his VRD Racing-run GB3 car.
“The car with the upgrades is really nice to drive” he says. “It’s between a Formula Regional and an F3 car. The grip feels really nice and I much prefer this car to the Regional one.
“The high speed feels really good and it is also pretty quick in the wet. Also the engine has better performance this year, which is nicer of course, so I’m enjoying this car quite a lot.
“The car is pretty similar to F3 in some aspects, especially with corner grip, which is pretty good. I think it’s a good step before Formula 3 to get up to speed and to practice with.”
German driver Maxim Rehm, who was a race-winner on his GB3 debut weekend at Monza late in 2025 is also well placed to observe the differences year on year.
“I think both acceleration and downforce is a lot more than last year and the car is very enjoyable to drive. Especially at Silverstone, a high speed track, [through] Maggotts, Becketts, Stowe, Copse, it’s very nice to drive. It’s a lot of fun, definitely.
“We’ve had mixed conditions but when it was dry you could really feel the downforce of the car, the G forces you carry now is probably more similar to an FIA F3.”
Meanwhile, Hillspeed’s Aurelia Nobels steps up to GB3 having experience two years at F4 level in F1 Academy. She’s been impressed with the increase in speed the upgraded GB3 car offers.
“I’m really enjoying the step, it’s very different to the cars I’ve been driving from F1 Academy” she acknowledges. “It’s much faster, has a lot more downforce and I’m learning more every time I get in the car.
“The downforce, the speed you can carry into the corners and how late you can brake is amazing and a big challenge.”
Lap time comparisons:
Snetterton:
2025 best time: 1m40.468s
2026 test: 1m37.958s (-2.510s)
Donington Park
2025 best time: 1m22.352s
2026 test: 1m20.367s (-1.985s)
Silverstone
2025 best time: 1m51.647s
2026 test: 1m49.198s (-2.449s)
Testing resumes on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on Thursday 9 April.