Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic delivered a truly commanding performance in 2025 GB3 Championship qualifying at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, securing pole position for both race one and race two. The Australian broke the existing GB3 qualifying lap record in the opening session, before going even faster in Q2 to post an astonishing 1m17.660s. With these results, he not only claimed his sixth and seventh pole positions of the season, but also mathematically secured the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup, guaranteeing him the £2,000 prize before the season finale.
Qualifying 1: Ninovic strikes late to smash record
The first qualifying session began with a sense of anticipation, particularly after Freddie Slater had set the pace in practice earlier in the day. The Hillspeed driver carried that momentum into qualifying, moving to the top of the order just before the session was interrupted. A red flag was required when Nikita Johnson’s Hitech TGR machine stopped on track, temporarily halting proceedings and setting up a tense five-minute shoot-out once action resumed.
When the track went green again, the pressure was immense, but Ninovic rose to the occasion. First, he established a new GB3 qualifying record with a lap of 1m18.345s. That time alone would have been enough to take pole. However, the championship leader was not satisfied, and on his final lap he found further improvements, producing a scintillating 1m18.180s. That performance left him an emphatic 0.523s clear of Slater, a remarkable margin given how tight the field has been this season.
Behind them, Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough continued to show his progress by securing third, just over a tenth behind Slater. Xcel Motorsport’s Patrick Heuzenroeder was only 0.020s further back in fourth, reinforcing his consistency at the sharp end of the field. Elite Motorsport’s Will Macintyre completed the top five, narrowly ahead of Hillspeed’s Hiyu Yamakoshi. The second Rodin of Gianmarco Pradel finished seventh, while Hillspeed’s Kanato Le slotted into eighth. JHR’s Kai Daryanani and Rodin’s Abbi Pulling rounded out the top ten, ensuring a diverse mix of teams at the front.
Classification: Brands Hatch: Qualifying 1
- Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, 1m18.180s
- Freddie Slater, Hillspeed, +0.523s
- Deagen Fairclough, Hitech TGR, +0.630s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +0.650s
- Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +0.732s
- Hiyu Yamakoshi, Hillspeed, +0.740s
- Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, +0.818s
- Kanato Le, Hillspeed, +0.843s
- Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +0.971s
- Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +0.980s
- Noah Lisle, JHR Developments, +1.027s
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul, VRD Racing, +1.136s
- Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech TGR, +1.197s
- Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +1.198s
- Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +1.427s
- Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +1.504s
- Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +1.749s
- Nikita Johnson, Hitech TGR, +1.933s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +2.131s
- Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +2.961s
- Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +3.189s
Qualifying 2: Ninovic raises the bar even higher
If Q1 had underlined Ninovic’s supremacy, Q2 took it to an even greater level. The Rodin driver wasted no time in asserting himself, immediately finding speed that none of his rivals could match. Just six minutes into the session, he delivered a lap of 1m17.981s — the first time any GB3 driver had dipped into the 1m17s in qualifying at Brands Hatch. That benchmark seemed untouchable. Yet astonishingly, Ninovic went faster still just two laps later, producing a 1m17.660s that left the paddock stunned.
Slater again emerged as his closest challenger, but he was left 0.411s behind, unable to close the gap despite a tidy run. Fairclough, who has looked increasingly strong in recent rounds, secured third place once more, three tenths adrift of Slater. Heuzenroeder was consistent in fourth, again underlining his title credentials, while Gianmarco Pradel improved to fifth.
Hiyu Yamakoshi enjoyed another excellent session, finishing sixth and just 0.014s away from Pradel. Behind him, JHR’s Daryanani produced one of his strongest sessions of the season in seventh, with Hillspeed’s Le right behind in eighth. Rodin’s Pulling improved on her earlier showing to take ninth, while VRD’s Tarnvanichkul completed the top ten.
Classification: Brands Hatch: Qualifying 2
- Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, 1m17.660s
- Freddie Slater, Hillspeed, +0.411s
- Deagen Fairclough, Hitech TGR, +0.760s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +0.866s
- Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, +1.057s
- Hiyu Yamakoshi, Hillspeed, +1.071s
- Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +1.149s
- Kanato Le, Hillspeed, +1.151s
- Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +1.195s
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul, VRD Racing, +1.322s
- Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +1.356s
- Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +1.452s
- Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +1.600s
- Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech TGR, +1.613s
- Noah Lisle, JHR Developments, +1.658s
- Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +1.867s
- Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +1.882s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +2.336s
- Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +2.698s
- Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +3.431s
Ninovic thrilled with double pole
Having secured double pole with record-breaking speed, championship leader Alex Ninovic reflected on what had been one of the standout qualifying displays of the season. He explained that the key was approaching the session without overcomplicating things, and instead relying on instinct and preparation. The Rodin Motorsport driver was quick to praise both the car and the work his team had done behind the scenes. He emphasised that everything seemed to flow naturally once he was on track, with little conscious effort needed beyond trusting the process.
“I’m super super happy with the result today. I honestly don’t really know how I did that! But I just went out there and I didn’t stress too much and I really just drove how I felt. The car was great, and then I’m guessing all the preparation we’ve done, it just happened naturally and I didn’t have to think too much about what I had to do – it was more just go out there and do what I felt was right.”
“To come away with such a big margin to P2 and everyone else, it’s special and I’m really really excited and also proud to be on a double pole here at Brands Hatch. It’s such a legendary circuit, as well for as my engineer Jimmy – it’s his home circuit, he used to live on the side of the track coming out of Stirlings. He’s super excited and the team’s done an amazing job.”
The advantages of a conservative approach
Looking back on practice, Ninovic explained how being conservative earlier in the day gave him the confidence to push later on. By keeping something in reserve, he was able to unleash his ultimate pace when it mattered most.
“It’s a really good weekend to be at the front. I think this morning, I was quite reserved in the Free Practice, and then I knew where I had to pick up time and going out there I felt comfortable because I hadn’t gone over the limit. I was right under the limit. Once we went out there, I felt the grip and I was like, ‘the track feels really sticky’ and I put it all down and definitely came away with a massive gap.
An early end to the pole position cup
Ninovic also acknowledged the significance of wrapping up the Pole Position Cup early, calling it a proud moment in his season. Yet, his focus already turned to the races, where he sees pole position as the perfect platform for more championship points.
“I’m super super proud of that [winning the Pole Position Cup two rounds early]. It’s a really nice way to wrap up that trophy. I’m looking forward to the races coming up, starting on pole, it gives us the best opportunity. As long as everything goes well, I think we should be able to finish up the front and grab some good points for the championship.”
Slater disappointed by optimistic
For Freddie Slater, qualifying brought a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he was frustrated with mistakes that prevented him from challenging Ninovic for pole. On the other, he recognised that starting from the front row in both races still offers him an excellent chance to fight for victories.
“Really not the result I wanted. I just messed up Q1 and I made too many mistakes. I didn’t quite get the rhythm right and then Q2, just missing a little bit of speed in a few places, which I’m honestly a bit annoyed about, especially with Q1 because that was all down to me. Overall, it’s a positive place to be, and for bad days, P2, I’ll take it! So pretty positive.”
Slater admitted that his ambition had always been to take pole, but with two second-place starts secured, he is determined to make the most of those opportunities. He suggested that being on the outside of the front row might even work to his advantage in race conditions.
“I was always going for pole, that was always the target to start with. We’re going off P2 twice now so we’ll see if it pays off with the slightly better grid position, see if it works.”
Slater identifies learning curves in GB3
He also pointed out that race starts may prove to be a learning curve, since some of his rivals have more GB3 experience. Nonetheless, he expressed his admiration for the circuit itself, describing the joy of driving on one of the most demanding and enjoyable tracks on the calendar.
“These boys have done a few more starts than I have so it’s going to be something I’m going to have to adapt to later on today. But honestly, I couldn’t think of a better car and track. Honestly this track’s incredible to drive. Every time I come back, I love it more and more. I think a few people need to take a few pages out of Brands Hatch GP’s book and start making more tracks like this.”
Ultimately, Slater’s target remains clear: to convert his front-row positions into race wins. He also noted the unique challenge of the reversed-grid race, which he relishes as a chance to showcase overtaking ability.
“I want to try and win the race, try and win two races and then race through in race three in the reverse grid which is always nice to do.”
Fairclough content but hungry for more
For Deagen Fairclough, qualifying delivered consistency with third place in both sessions. Although pleased to be starting towards the sharp end, he admitted that a front-row slot had been his goal. Still, he took encouragement from being able to fight with Ninovic and Slater.
“The position’s quite nice, but obviously we wanted the front row. I’m pretty pleased. A few little bits I need to sort out on my behalf. But I’m happy to be out the front and now fighting with the front two.”
Looking ahead to the races, Fairclough set realistic expectations, noting that a podium in each contest would be a strong outcome. However, he was also quick to stress the unpredictable nature of GB3, where small margins can quickly change results.
“Hopefully we don’t go backwards! A podium would be nice, well two podiums. We’re P3 in both races now, and P10 in reverse. So it’s good positions and the racing’s so close, anything can happen.”
The Hitech driver also spoke about the challenge of racing at Brands Hatch, highlighting how easy it is to make a mistake at such an unforgiving circuit. At the same time, he expressed his enjoyment of competing at his local track, which lies just 30 minutes from home.
“Brands Hatch is so abrasive, very easy to go off at any moment with one little mistake. I’m looking forward to the race later on. I love Brands Hatch. Such a nice flowing, abrasive circuit as it’s nature. Local for me too is not too bad, only 30 minutes away! It’s really nice to be back up the front.”
