Can Fairclough maintain his winning streak with GB3 glory?

All eyes will be on Deagen Fairclough when the GB3 season begins at Silverstone this weekend. The 18-year-old displayed unprecedented levels of dominance on his way to the 2024 British Formula 4 crown by winning almost half the races he started, and will be aiming to repeat such commanding performances this year to follow in the footsteps of reigning GB3 champion Louis Sharp in taking back-to-back UK single-seater titles.

A striking new car with some of the brightest young prospects doing the driving brings plenty of intrigue and unknowns as a new GB3 era begins. But Fairclough has already enjoyed a decorated start to 2025 by scooping the prestigious Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, with both a £200,000 career contribution and a test in an Aston Martin Formula 1 car part of his prize, lifting his confidence further heading into the season.

“It was a privilege to even be in the top-four shootout – it was such an experience and, even if I didn’t win, I would have learned so much from the two days,” he reflects. “To know that I’ve won and I’ve got an F1 test coming up soon and a cash prize is incredible. To join such a long list of fantastic drivers that have won it is a real boost to my confidence, and it shows that I can possibly make it to F1.”

Fairclough remains with Hitech GP for the next step in his career, and is optimistic of fighting at the front in GB3 from the outset, after regularly appearing in the top five during testing.

“We’ve come off such a strong season of British F4,” he continues. “We are working on ourselves at the moment. I’m very confident in everyone in the team, all the mechanics and engineers, we all get along really well. We’ll go for that championship win, both teams’ championship and drivers’ championship – we kind of want to dominate.”

To do that he must master GB3’s new Tatuus MSV GB3-025 machine, which has matched its looks with performance, with unofficial lap records set on every UK circuit it has visited. The new car is bigger and heavier than its predecessor and, with a revised aero package producing 35% more downforce and the introduction of a Drag Reduction System to aid overtaking, drivers believe it will provide a better learning tool on the ladder towards F1.

New GB3 car offers DRS and a significant step up in performance

Photo by: JEP

“I’m really enjoying it and building that confidence up going through high-speed corners with the amount of downforce and aero there is,” affirms Fairclough. “Because it’s a new car, there’s so many things we’ve been trying out in testing, things we’ve had to gauge and understand. Everybody is in the same boat trying to learn as much as possible. It’s all going smoothly from our end at the moment, and there’s so much more development in the car that we’re going to learn throughout the season.”

Several of Fairclough’s F4 rivals are also stepping up to GB3 this year, the most notable of those being Alex Ninovic. Although the Australian finished a distant runner-up to Fairclough last year, he nonetheless impressed during his first season competing in the UK by taking five victories to finish over 80 points clear of the chasing pack. With that experience banked and the benefit of continuity by remaining with Rodin Motorsport, Ninovic looks well placed to give Fairclough a much stronger challenge in GB3, especially if his impressive testing pace is anything to go by.

“Coming away from the season with that many wins, and really strong performances, definitely gives me confidence going into this year,” says Ninovic. “It helps knowing I’ve done all these tracks in the UK and learned how to drive in the cold and all the other tricky bits that come with it.

“It’s everyone’s goal to make it to F1, it’s been my goal since I was five years old, and I’m so determined to make it to the top” Deagen Fairclough

“I found that I didn’t have to change too much in my driving style [compared to F4] – it has crossed over quite nicely. It’s coming along really well, we’ve been making really good steps. We’ve found what works, so that’s a positive sign, and we should be able to give a lot more of a fight compared to last year.”

His countryman Gianmarco Pradel, a race winner in Italian F4 last year, has also shown pace for Rodin by topping the final day of GB3 testing at Silverstone, while Abbi Pulling will continue as a team-mate to Ninovic from F4.

Another driver who looks set to challenge for victory at round one is Fairclough’s fellow Young Driver Award finalist Freddie Slater, who dominated Italian F4 last year and has looked relentlessly fast in testing ahead of his partial GB3 campaign with Hillspeed (alongside his main Formula Regional European programme).

Slater is using GB3 to gain additional experience alongside his main Formula Regional campaign

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“It’s a good experience to be developing a new car with a team like Hillspeed,” Slater explains. “It’s a good challenge for me to develop myself more as a driver, to be able to develop a car as well. That’s the reason why we are doing it – also [to gain] some experience on track.”

Elsewhere, a trio of second-year drivers will be hoping to build on their rookie GB3 campaigns by challenging for the title this time around. Will Macintyre, who scored three victories and finished fifth in the standings with Hitech last year, believes his reunion with Elite Motorsport will help him become a more consistent frontrunner.

After winning twice in 2024, Nikita Johnson has exited Velocity Racing Development’s stable for Hitech, and the American will also be busy racking up experience in his homeland with a part-time Indy NXT campaign. Another Australian, Patrick Heuzenroeder, is also feeling bullish after enjoying a strong pre-season with Xcel Motorsport, which has joined the GB3 grid this year.

Xcel isn’t the only team making its series debut. Fellow British F4 squad Argenti Motorsport is expanding by partnering with single-seater powerhouse Prema, which will provide engineering support.

Alongside new teams, there is a new venue, with the season concluding at Monza. Six of the eight rounds will take place on current F1 circuits (half in Europe), and Fairclough feels that this is a positive direction for the series.

“It’s testing, hopefully, for the future,” he concludes. “It’s everyone’s goal to make it to F1, it’s been my goal since I was five years old, and I’m so determined to make it to the top. To get the privilege of driving these tracks so early on in my career will really help in the future.”

How Pulling is pushing on without the financial worries

F1 Academy champion has been able to focus solely on driving this winter without budget distractions

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The 2024 season was a breakthrough one for Abbi Pulling. Not only did she score a maiden British Formula 4 victory, but a dominant F1 Academy title success earned her a prize GB3 seat with Rodin. The 22-year-old is relishing that chance to take another step up the ladder.

“I’ve been in F4 for a few years longer than I wanted, so it’s really nice to make that jump after winning F1 Academy and getting that prize,” she acknowledges. “If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t be here.”

Pulling scored nine wins and stood on the podium after every race on her way to the F1 Academy crown, and believes maintaining last year’s approach, while feeling less pressure, can help her impress in GB3.

“It was a pivotal year for me,” she explains. “I felt like it’s always been there, it’s just been [a case of] extracting it. I put a lot of last year’s success down to mindset, and I’m going to try and go into this year with a similar mindset, though more open in the sense that there’s less pressure. I absolutely had to win last year.

“This year, whether I have to or not, I want to do well myself and I know that I’m capable of it. It’s just [a matter of] carrying that momentum and success from last year.”

“This year I don’t have any real big financial pressures, which I hope helps me get the most out of the car and myself” Abbi Pulling

After seeing a promising British F4 season cut short due to lack of funding in 2021, Pulling has experienced the struggles of trying to raise a budget. Thanks to the F1 Academy prize, being able to focus solely on her driving this year should be of benefit.

“It’s no secret I’ve always had financial pressure,” she relates. “I've always had it... not even at the back of my mind, pretty much at the forefront of it. It does hinder you because if you have an off it can add up and be expensive. This year I don’t have any real big financial pressures, which I hope helps me get the most out of the car and myself. I’m so privileged to be in this position, so it’s [about] keeping that performance going and showing why I deserve to be here.”

Pulling has outlined some clear aims for the season ahead following positive testing performances. “Every time we go out we’re constantly learning,” she explains. “Even the tyre compound is new, so we’re learning a lot with that. I’m looking forward to progressing and hopefully having a good first few races. My target would be to finish in the top six. I think, if I’ve done that, that’s a really great job. I believe in myself and the team that we can achieve some great things. It’s just putting it together, being consistent and racking up points.”

Pulling is determined to prove she belongs at this level

Photo by: JEP