Yorkshire Motorsport Star Gears Up for First British GB3 Season

Rowan Campbell-Pilling returns to the track for his upcoming 2026 UK GB3 Championship debut, later this week at Silverstone.

After two successful seasons in F4 and his recent win in the F4 UAE Trophy Series, the Yorkshire teenager will compete in GB3, the proven step to FIA Formula 3 and beyond, which will run across eight events from April to November.

The championship will take place in five different countries across five popular Formula 1 circuits: Spa-Francorchamps, Hungaroring, Barcelona-Catalunya, Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring. Rowan will also race at Brands Hatch and Donington.

Rowan is rejoining the team responsible for his achievements in the UAE last year, Dubai-based Xcel Motorsport, for his GB3 debut. The team races in both British F4 and MSV GB3 championships in the UK. It has also recently established a brand-new facility in Wokingham to strengthen its UK presence.

Rowan said: “I’m thrilled to be continuing my journey with Xcel Motorsport for my first GB3 season. We built something really strong together during the F4 Trophy Series over winter, and I can’t wait to take that momentum into Silverstone and beyond.

“Racing across five countries in Europe this championship is a huge step up and it’s an honour to keep flying the flag for Sheffield every step of the way.”

Over his racing career so far, Rowan has collected more than 30 trophies and awards, putting him into the top 10 standings in British F4. And more recently, his international debut led him to being crowned third place overall in the F4 UAE Trophy Series.

In pre-season testing, Rowan has already made a strong impression at Silverstone and Donington, where he finished P1 in the final race and finished in P2 overall.

His GB3 car, unveiled at the teenager’s ‘Over the Horizon’ launch event in February, will benefit Rowan through its increased 2.4L engine – it has enough power to achieve speeds of over 150 mph.

The vehicle will also have upgrades in aerodynamics and the use of a Drag Reduction System (DRS) – the same as those used in Formula 1 vehicles.

Gary Bonnor, Xcel Motorsport’s GB3 Team Manager, said: “We’re extremely excited to welcome Rowan to our GB3 programme for 2026. He’s a driver who has consistently impressed us with his work ethic, commitment and attitude.

“Rowan is incredibly hard working and has already spent a lot of time with the team, which gives us great confidence that he’ll adapt quickly and hit the ground running. We’re really looking forward to working closely with him as he takes this next step in his career.”

This year, Rowan is supported by regional partners Altitude, Exol Lubricants, H Harrold & Sons, Hydra Creative, Made in Sheffield, Rathbones PLC, Simoda and UX Global.

You can watch Rowan’s first race highlights from Silverstone, between 23-26 April, here: https://www.gb-3.net/television