Fairclough secures GB3 vice-champion honours in Barcelona
Round 8 – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Report
Hitech brought its 2026 GB3 Championship campaign to a dramatic conclusion at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Deagen Fairclough securing second place in the Drivers’ Championship after a remarkable recovery in the final race of the season.
Despite a difficult weekend, Deagen produced a determined drive from 18th on the grid to finish sixth in Race 3, securing the vice-champion position by three points.
The result capped an outstanding second half of the season, during which he claimed seven victories and recorded 12 consecutive top-10 finishes.
The Barcelona finale also marked Theo Palmer’s first appearance in GB3, following his runner-up finish in the 2026 British F4 Championship.
Qualifying
Deagen qualified sixth for Race 1, just 0.309 seconds away from pole position in a closely contested session.
Felix Fu secured 11th, while Theo qualified 15th on his GB3 debut.
For the second qualifying session, Deagen was 17th, with Theo 21st and Felix 24th, leaving the team with work to do in the opening two races.
Race 1
Deagen started sixth but got a difficult getaway, dropping to 10th during the opening exchanges. Felix and Theo also lost positions as the field settled into the race.
A lengthy Safety Car period interrupted the action, limiting opportunities for the drivers to make progress.
As the race entered its final third, Deagen began fighting his way forward. He made a late move on Ingram-Hill in the closing minutes to cross the line ninth, although a five-second track limits penalty was applied to his result.
Theo finished 14th on his GB3 debut, with Felix taking 19th.
Race 2
Starting 17th, Deagen faced another challenging afternoon as he looked to make progress through the field.
Theo lined up 21st, with Felix starting 24th.
Theo’s race came to an early end following an incident at the opening corner, in a possible coming-together with Rehm, which forced him to retire.
Deagen continued to fight and eventually finished 10th, while Felix crossed the line 19th.
The result was a setback for Deagen’s bid to secure second in the championship, with Fluxá finishing ahead and extending his advantage in the standings.
Race 3
The reverse-grid format placed Deagen 18th on the grid for the final race, with Theo starting 21st and Felix 22nd.
Deagen produced an impressive recovery through the field, steadily working his way forward as he fought to keep his vice-champion hopes alive.
With six minutes remaining, Felix stopped on track, bringing out the Safety Car. The development proved crucial to the championship battle, as Fluxá also encountered problems and slowed on the circuit.
Deagen held his position through the closing stages to take sixth place at the chequered flag.
Theo and Felix were unfortunately unable to finish the final race, bringing a challenging weekend to a close for the pair.
Fairclough finishes season as vice-champion
Despite the difficulties in Barcelona, Deagen’s final-race performance secured an outstanding second place in the 2026 GB3 Drivers’ Championship, finishing the season with 379 points.
Phil Blow, Hitech GB3 Team Manager:
“It's fantastic to see Deagen finish the season as vice-champion. He's been outstanding in the second half of the year, and to fight back in the final race and secure second by just three points shows real determination. It's a great achievement for Deagen and a credit to the hard work of the entire team.”
