GB3 | 2025 | Qualifying | Hungaroring | Al Azhari and Ninovic share poles in record-breaking GB3 Qualifying - Motorsport

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The 2025 GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, produced a dramatic qualifying morning at the Hungaroring as the grid fought for vital starting positions at one of Europe’s most demanding circuits. With overtaking notoriously difficult around the twisty 4.381 km track, qualifying held extra weight, and both sessions delivered record-breaking pace.

Keanu Al Azhari of Hitech TGR claimed his maiden GB3 pole in Q1 with a lap of 1m37.460s, while championship leader Alex Ninovic responded in Q2 by securing his third pole of the season for Rodin Motorsport. Both laps slashed more than two seconds off the previous year’s benchmarks, proving the speed of the latest GB3 machinery and the skill of its drivers.

Qualifying 1: Al Azhari seizes pole with exceptional lap

The first qualifying session unfolded under steadily rising track temperatures, with teams aware that conditions would deteriorate as the clock ticked on. Drivers therefore pushed early, aiming to extract maximum grip from their tyres before the heat took its toll.

Keanu Al Azhari seized the moment on just his fourth lap. The Hitech TGR driver produced a stunning 1m37.460s, more than two seconds faster than the 2023 pole time and enough to eclipse the entire field. His achievement was even more impressive given this was his very first appearance at the Hungaroring.

Behind him, Rodin Motorsport’s Gianmarco Pradel continued his fine qualifying form by slotting into second, just 0.135s adrift. His teammate Alex Ninovic secured third, ensuring two Rodin cars would start from the top three positions. Will Macintyre delivered Elite Motorsport’s strongest qualifying of the season in fourth, narrowly edging Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough by only 0.010s.

Elsewhere, Patrick Heuzenroeder kept Xcel Motorsport in contention with sixth, while Noah Lisle placed seventh for JHR Developments. Abbi Pulling impressed with her best qualifying since Silverstone, taking eighth, and Hugo Schwarze brought VRD Racing into the top 10 in ninth. JHR’s Kai Daryanani rounded off the leading group.

Al Azhari delighted and relieved

Al Azhari’s achievement in Q1 marked a turning point in his GB3 campaign. Having shown flashes of pace earlier in the season, he finally converted potential into results at exactly the right moment. His time was not only quick but decisive, setting him apart from a tightly bunched midfield where hundredths of a second separated multiple drivers.

Understandably, he was delighted with the outcome and explained how much it meant:

“It’s a very relieving feeling, but we knew we had the speed coming into this weekend. The team has done a great job to turn around our season and I’m feeling really confident from now on.”

He then reflected on the work behind the scenes at Hitech and the fine margins involved in finding performance.

“If I told you [what the difference was this weekend], then everyone would be quicker, so I’ll keep that to myself but I’m really happy with everything that we’ve found and the car has been feeling absolutely incredible. The team has been working hard so I’m very happy to bring back a first pole today.”

As a driver tackling the Hungaroring for the first time, Al Azhari admitted he had quickly developed a connection with the track.

“It’s lovely, this circuit, it’s my first time here but I think it’s already one of my favourites.”

Although Q2 proved trickier, Al Azhari still secured second on the grid for race two, leaving him in a strong position for the weekend. He explained how traffic and timing affected his approach.

“I had a bit of a scrappy Q2, I couldn’t get my lap in early on so it took four or five laps before I did my quickest. There was a little bit of traffic, but qualifying is qualifying and it was a satisfying last lap to get up to P2. I think two wins are in the bag, a good getaway and a solid race and that should be it.”

Classification: Hungaroring: Qualifying 1

Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR, 1m37.460s
Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport, +0.135s
Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport, +0.245s
Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport, +0.440s
Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR, +0.450s
Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport, +0.468s
Noah Lisle – JHR Developments, +0.500s
Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport, +0.584s
Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing, +0.606s
Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments, +1.011s
Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema, +1.083s
Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema, +1.271s
Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema, +1.285s
Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport, +1.310s
Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport, +1.400s
Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport, +2.300s

Ninovic beats Al Azhari to claim pole in Qualifying 2

Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, 2025 GB3 Championship, Round 4, Hungaroring, Qualifying — Photo Credit: GB3 Championship | Jakob Ebrey

The second session provided just as much excitement, though this time it was championship leader Alex Ninovic who stole the headlines. With temperatures climbing even higher, drivers again pushed early, and Ninovic struck with a perfectly executed lap on his fourth run.

His 1m37.445s was marginally faster than Al Azhari’s Q1 benchmark and good enough to secure his third pole of the season. The Australian then sat out the closing minutes, watching nervously from the pits as Al Azhari mounted one last attack. The Emirati came within 0.024s but fell just short, ensuring Ninovic and Rodin Motorsport celebrated a vital pole.

Behind them, Pradel reinforced his consistent form with another top-three result, while Noah Lisle impressed with fourth for JHR. Fairclough showed resilience by taking fifth despite losing time earlier in the session. Macintyre, Pulling, and Heuzenroeder all remained competitive in the midfield, while Schwarze and Seewooruthun rounded out the top 10.

Ninovic aiming for strong starts to maximise weekend odds

For Ninovic, Q2 represented both a statement of intent and a demonstration of his ability to handle pressure. Already carrying the weight of championship leadership, he needed to confirm his Thursday testing pace in competitive conditions, and he did exactly that.

After the session, he described the relief of delivering when it mattered:

“I’m really happy to come away with P1 in Q2, so it puts us in a good position for the weekend now. So I’m really happy about that and got all the nerves off before quali so I’m happy we’re in the position that we are.”

He admitted that dominant practice sessions had created more nerves than confidence, but praised the team for pulling everything together.

“Free Practice and testing on Thursday was really good, but it almost made me a bit nervous because of how good it was going into quali. But obviously we put everything together and came out on top, so I’m super happy for the team.”

Looking ahead, Ninovic acknowledged that race management would be critical in the Hungarian heat.

“Obviously I need to make good starts and manage the races from there. I know it’s going to be a warm one so I need to manage the tyres and see how it goes from there. Hopefully I can drive smart and keep out of trouble.”