Hitech TGR’s Deagen Fairclough opened the Zandvoort weekend in style by topping the first test session. The reigning British F4 champion waited until the midpoint of the 90-minute run before moving to the head of the times, edging out Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic in a fiercely close battle.
Margins at the limit
The gap between the top three runners underscored how competitive the field has become. Ninovic had led for much of the first half of the session before Fairclough displaced him, with Xcel Motorsport’s Patrick Heuzenroeder slotting in third and almost inseparable from the Rodin driver. Less than a tenth covered the leading trio, ensuring anticipation is already building for the weekend’s qualifying fight.
Fairclough’s Hitech teammate Nikita Johnson placed fourth, continuing his strong start to the season. Just behind came Silverstone race winner Will Macintyre, who gave Elite Motorsport a presence in the top five.
Argenti with Prema enjoyed a productive session as Yuanpu Cui took sixth, narrowly ahead of Xcel’s Jack Sherwood. Cui’s teammate Reza Seewooruthun also joined the top eight, closely followed by JHR’s Noah Lisle, who arrives at Zandvoort as the de facto championship leader. Keanu Al Azhari, driving the third Hitech entry, completed the top ten.
Depth across the grid
The competitiveness extended throughout the order, with the top 14 cars separated by less than a second. Rodin’s Gianmarco Pradel placed just outside the top ten, while Fortec Motorsport’s James Higgins and VRD Racing’s Hugo Schwarze ended the session level in the midfield. Kai Daryanani for JHR was close behind, ensuring all three Australians in the field remain firmly in the mix.
Further down the order, Stefan Bostandjiev brought Fortec into the top 15, while Rodin’s Abbi Pulling placed just behind as she continued her adaptation to GB3 machinery. Lucas Fluxa showed flashes of progress for Argenti, ahead of Elite Motorsport’s Flynn Jackes and Bianca Bustamante. The field was completed by JHR’s Divy Nandan, who continues to gather mileage with his new team.
Classification: Pre-Event Testing: Zandvoort
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR
- Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport
- Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport
- Nikita Johnson – Hitech TGR
- Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport
- Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema
- Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport
- Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema
- Noah Lisle – JHR Developments
- Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR
- Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport
- James Higgins – Fortec Motorsports
- Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing
- Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments
- Stefan Bostandjiev – Fortec Motorsports
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport
- Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport
- Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport
- Divy Nandan – JHR Developments
