Silverstone served up two intense qualifying sessions in the 2025 GB3 Championship partnered by the BRDC, and Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic rose to the occasion with a commanding double pole. The Australian’s raw pace and composure shone through, leaving him ahead of a tightly packed field. His closest challengers, Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough and Keanu Al Azhari, came away encouraged despite missing out on pole, setting the stage for a gripping weekend.
Qualifying 1: Ninovic sets the tone
The first 15-minute qualifying session opened with a flurry of early banker laps. Hugo Schwarze drew first blood by going quickest, before Deagen Fairclough and Patrick Heuzenroeder briefly traded blows at the top of the leaderboard. The improving track and rising temperatures meant every circulation brought fresh personal bests.
As the session entered its decisive stages, Ninovic emerged with devastating speed. His 1m52.965s lap was the first and only effort below the 1m53s barrier, underlining both precision and control. The lap left him more than three-tenths clear of the rest — a sizeable margin in GB3’s ultra-competitive field.
Reza Seewooruthun impressed with a strong lap to secure second for Argenti with Prema, while Fairclough consolidated his pace with third. Rodin’s Gianmarco Pradel made it two of the team’s cars inside the top four, with Heuzenroeder completing a spirited top five. Incredibly, just 0.826s separated the top twelve, pointing to how hard-fought the battles for position will be in the races.
Classification: Silverstone: Qualifying 1
- Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, 1m52.965s
- Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +0.313s
- Deagen Fairclough, Hitech, +0.377s
- Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, +0.432s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +0.487s
- Yuanpu Cui, Hillspeed, +0.495s
- Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech, +0.565s
- Noah Lisle, JHR Development, +0.701s
- Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +0.707s
- Michael Shin, Hillspeed, +0.718s
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul, VRD Racing, +0.758s
- Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +0.826s
- Hugo Schwarze, VRD Racing, +1.044s
- Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +1.060s
- Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +1.245s
- Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +1.340s
- Yevan David, Xcel Motorsport, +1.396s
- Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +1.665s
- August Raber, Argenti with Prema, +1.738s
- Divy Nandan, JHR Developments, +1.810s
- Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +2.072s
- Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +2.132s
- Nicolas Stati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +2.142s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez, Chris Dittmann Racing, +2.292s
Qualifying: Rivals close the gap
The second session brought improved grip and a greater sense of urgency as drivers pushed to find every last fraction of a second. Ninovic again set the early benchmark, but this time his rivals were much closer. Fairclough and Al Azhari, both representing Hitech, launched determined assaults on the top spot as the chequered flag approached.
With the clock ticking down, Ninovic dug deep once more. His 1m52.508s lap was enough to hold off Fairclough by a slender 0.126s, while Al Azhari placed third just 0.037s further back. The margins spoke volumes — while Ninovic remained untouchable, the chasers were closing in.
Behind them, Heuzenroeder maintained his consistency with another fourth place, showing Xcel’s progress. Hillspeed teammates Yuanpu Cui and Michael Shin filled fifth and sixth, while Seewooruthun, Lisle, Tarnvanichkul and Daryanani ensured the top ten remained fiercely competitive. From pole down to 14th-placed Abbi Pulling, the entire group was covered by less than a second — evidence of the championship’s razor-thin margins.
Classification: Silverstone: Qualifying 2
- Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, 1m52.508s
- Deagen Fairclough, Hitech, +0.126s
- Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech, +0.163s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +0.326s
- Yuanpu Cui, Hillspeed, +0.416s
- Michael Shin, Hillspeed, +0.440s
- Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +0.467s
- Noah Lisle, JHR Development, +0.544s
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul, VRD Racing, +0.682s
- Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +0.727s
- Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +0.802s
- Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, +0.850s
- Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +0.872s
- Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +0.930s
- Hugo Schwarze, VRD Racing, +1.077s
- Yevan David, Xcel Motorsport, +1.150s
- Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +1.558s
- August Raber, Argenti with Prema, +1.576s
- Divy Nandan, JHR Developments, +1.690s
- Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +1.814s
- Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +1.891s
- Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +1.905s
- Nicolas Stati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +2.516s
- Rodrigo Gonzalez, Chris Dittmann Racing, +2.533s
Ninovic confident and composed
After securing his fifth and sixth pole positions of the season, Alex Ninovic paid tribute to the consistency of his campaign and the work of his Rodin Motorsport crew.
“This year’s been really good and consistent up the front. We’ve tallied up five pole positions so far so I can’t complain with that. To get the double pole this weekend I’m super pumped with that.”
He explained that Q1 felt especially strong, with a clean and connected lap, while Q2 was a touch scrappier but still decisive.
“The team’s been putting a massive effort in so it’s all paying off. The first run was really good, I managed to connect a lap up and it showed with the gap we had to P2. In the second one I managed to do a decent job again I just didn’t get as clean of a lap so the gap was a bit closer but still really happy with how it went and the car felt good.”
Looking ahead to the races, Ninovic made his ambitions clear: “Ideally get a good start and then see what happens from there but we know we have the pace so we can possibly run away with it. Gives us a good opportunity to maximise [points] so I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.”
Fairclough frustrated but encouraged
Deagen Fairclough narrowly missed out on pole in Q2, but he left Silverstone upbeat. The Hitech driver praised Ninovic’s speed but was proud of his own progress.
“So close! But Alex did a good job so fair play to him, he’s been quick all weekend. I’m really pleased, the car felt really good then. I just want to say a big thanks to Hitech, they’ve been working so hard. We haven’t had the best of first half of the season so far but I feel strong coming into the second half.”
He also reflected on the challenges of his season and how consistency could make the difference in the title fight: “Alex is leading but it’s going to be a close one I feel. I think scoring consistent points this weekend is really important with not many mistakes. Obviously I want to go for the win, I’m a racing driver and everyone is challenging for wins.”
Al Azhari building momentum
For Keanu Al Azhari, seventh in Q1 turned into third in Q2 — a strong recovery that reinforced his belief that a win could be within reach.
“The team’s been doing a lot of solid work over the past few months. Kicked on really well in Budapest a new circuit for many of us and came back with a few good results.”
The young Hitech driver admitted Q1 had been compromised but felt proud of his turnaround in the second session.
“Q1 was a little bit tough today. A little bit of traffic and I didn’t really put my lap together. A super close field all the way from P2 to P10 I ended up P7 in that one but really turned it around for Q2 and me and Deagen were both up there with solid laps. Very happy to take home a P3.”
Looking ahead to the races, he was optimistic about his chances: “Starting from P7 in race one will be interesting as well, hopefully make a few moves on lap one. From P3 obviously a few opportunities right in the mix so if anything happens I think a win is in the bag this weekend.”
Ninovic leads, but battle looms
Ninovic’s double pole marked him out as the driver to beat, but Fairclough and Al Azhari showed they are ready to fight. With less than a second covering the top 14 in Q2, Silverstone promises tight racing, bold overtakes, and shifting momentum. Ninovic carries the advantage into the weekend, yet with determined rivals in close pursuit, the battles ahead look set to be as unpredictable as they are thrilling.
