The 2025 GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, completed its two Friday Free Practice sessions at the Hungaroring. The Hungarian circuit produced a day of fast times, close margins, and several red-flag interruptions. Ultimately, Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic led the way overall, with his morning benchmark proving unbeatable in the afternoon.
Free Practice 1: Ninovic sets the pace on Friday morning
The first 45-minute session opened with competitive lap times almost immediately. Gianmarco Pradel initially set the pace for Rodin Motorsport, but the Australian’s teammate Alex Ninovic quickly established himself as the benchmark. Ninovic’s fastest lap of 1m38.238s not only topped the session but also stood as the best time of the day.
However, the session was not without incident. Shortly before the end, Ninovic crashed at Turn 11, causing a red flag and halting proceedings prematurely. Despite the setback, he emerged unscathed and maintained his place at the top of the timesheets.
Close behind, Elite Motorsport’s Will Macintyre challenged strongly. He briefly held the fastest time late on but ended the session just 0.105s down on Ninovic. Hitech TGR’s Keanu Al Azhari secured third, a mere 0.025s behind Macintyre. Pradel finished fourth after his early lead, while JHR Developments’ Noah Lisle completed the top five.
Patrick Heuzenroeder ensured all four Australians on the grid placed inside the top six, edging out Argenti with Prema’s Reza Seewooruthun. The session ended with the top ten covered by less than one second, underlining the close competitiveness of the field.
Classification: Hungaroring: Free Practice 1
- Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport – 1m38.238s
- Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport – +0.105s
- Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR – +0.130s
- Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport – +0.181s
- Noah Lisle – JHR Developments – +0.440s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport – +0.478s
- Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema – +0.624s
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR – +0.661s
- Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing – +0.665s
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport – +0.846s
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport – +1.080s
- Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport – +1.095s
- Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments – +1.266s
- Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema – +2.085s
- Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport – +2.159s
- Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema – no time set
Free Practice 2: Pradel emphasises Rodin Motorsport’s prowress
The second session provided another opportunity for drivers to refine their setups. This time, it was Gianmarco Pradel who struck late to take the top spot, improving on his Thursday form. The Rodin Motorsport driver produced a 1m38.350s in the closing minutes, falling only 0.112s short of Ninovic’s earlier benchmark.
The session ended early when a late red flag curtailed any final improvements. Nevertheless, Pradel’s pace confirmed Rodin’s strength around the Hungaroring. Ninovic again impressed, finishing second, while Hitech TGR’s Deagen Fairclough made progress to secure third. His teammate Al Azhari followed closely in fourth.
Further down the order, Will Macintyre remained a consistent frontrunner with fifth place, while Patrick Heuzenroeder continued his strong form in sixth. Meanwhile, VRD Racing’s Hugo Schwarze advanced into the top seven after placing ninth in FP1. JHR Developments’ Lisle, Rodin’s Pulling, and Xcel Motorsport’s Jack Sherwood rounded out the top ten.
Classification: Hungaroring: Free Practice 2
- Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport – 1m38.350s
- Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport – +0.143s
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR – +0.192s
- Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR – +0.337s
- Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport – +0.390s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport – +0.553s
- Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing – +0.794s
- Noah Lisle – JHR Developments – +0.814s
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport – +0.897s
- Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport – +1.019s
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport – +1.099s
- Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema – +1.123s
- Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema – +1.184s
- Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema – +1.186s
- Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments – +1.419s
- Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport – +1.848s
Rodin Motorsport strongest on Friday
When combining both sessions, Ninovic’s FP1 effort remained the outright fastest. Macintyre secured second on the overall classification, only a tenth adrift. Pradel’s FP2 time elevated him to third, narrowly ahead of Al Azhari in fourth.
Fairclough’s improvement in the afternoon placed him fifth overall, with Lisle and Heuzenroeder in close pursuit. Behind them, Seewooruthun, Schwarze, and Pulling completed the top ten.
Combined Classification
- Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport – 1m38.238s
- Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport – +0.105s
- Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport – +0.112s
- Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR – +0.130s
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR – +0.304s
- Noah Lisle – JHR Developments – +0.440s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport – +0.478s
- Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema – +0.624s
- Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing – +0.665s
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport – +0.846s
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport – +1.080s
- Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport – +1.095s
- Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema – +1.235s
- Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments – +1.266s
- Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema – +1.269s
- Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport – +1.960s
Friday at the Hungaroring highlighted the strong pace of Rodin Motorsport, with Ninovic and Pradel sharing the session honours. Furthermore, the close gaps demonstrated the highly competitive nature of the GB3 field. As a result, qualifying tomorrow promises to deliver a tight battle, with the front-runners separated by mere hundredths of a second.
