Jackes takes maiden GB3 win in Hungaroring reversed-grid race

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Elite Motorsport’s Flynn Jackes took a lights-to-flag win from pole in the final GB3 race of the weekend at the Hungaroring.

Having been denied a maiden triumph on the final lap earlier in the season at Silverstone, Jackes made sure of victory this time by leading Xcel Motorsport’s Lucas Fluxa and Rodin Motorsport’s Maxim Rehm.

The Australian kept Hillspeed’s Dante Vinci behind him at the start, while Fluxa climbed four places to third. 

But, after retiring from two earlier in the day, Deagen Fairclough suffered a further blow to his title hopes with his race ending at the first corner.

The Hitech GP driver appeared to be caught out by cars bunching up in front of him under braking, and despite swerving to the left he was launched over the left-rear wheel of Rehm’s car before collecting Abbi Pulling.

Rodin’s Pulling joined Fairclough in retirement due to suspension damage while her team-mate Martin Molnar continued despite being forced off the track during the incident. 

The safety car was deployed, and Jackes continued to lead when green-flag running resumed, while Fluxa wrestled second away from Vinci.

The race was neutralised again when Elite Motorsport’s Kyuho Lee spun out of seventh place and crashed into the barriers.

The race restarted once more with seven minutes of allotted time remaining, and Vinci lost a further place to Rowan Campbell-Pilling before the safety car was required again, as Hillspeed’s Peter Bouzinelous spun to a halt at turn one.

There was enough time remaining for a one-lap showdown to the chequered flag, and Jackes controlled the restart again before finishing half a second clear of Fluxa.

Rehm grabbed third from Campbell-Pilling, while points leader Nikita Bedrin climbed from 12th to pip Vinci to fifth. 

Hitech’s Jacob Micallef finished seventh ahead of Molnar, with Yuhao Fu and Ricardo Baptista completing the top of 10.

Race results (13 laps)