GB3 | 2025 | Race 1 | Brands Hatch | Ninovic converts pole to victory in weekend opener - Motorsport

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Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic strengthened his championship campaign by converting pole position into victory in the opening GB3 Championship race of the weekend at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. The Australian resisted early pressure from Hillspeed’s Freddie Slater before pulling clear with a series of lap records, ultimately sealing a commanding win despite a late safety car intervention.

Early battle for the lead

When the lights went out, Ninovic made a sharp getaway from pole to lead into Paddock Hill Bend. However, the fight for the front was anything but straightforward. Slater, starting alongside on the front row, suffered a slightly slower launch and briefly slipped to third. He quickly recovered and challenged Ninovic around the outside of Druids on the opening lap, testing the Rodin driver’s resolve.

Although Slater was able to keep within striking distance during the opening laps, Ninovic responded to every threat with metronomic pace. Even as his rival edged into DRS range, the Australian never looked rattled. Instead, he steadily built momentum, stringing together a succession of fastest laps to establish a margin of over four seconds.

Safety Car disruption

The race took a twist when Jack Sherwood went off into the gravel at Stirling’s, prompting the deployment of the safety car. With Sherwood’s stricken Xcel Motorsport machine needing recovery, Ninovic’s hard-earned advantage was suddenly erased, setting up a tense two-lap dash to the finish.

Yet when the action resumed, Ninovic immediately reasserted control. He timed his restart perfectly, re-establishing a gap of more than a second in just one lap. From there, he managed the pace expertly, taking the chequered flag 2.030s clear of Slater.

For Slater, second place represented a solid reward despite his early challenges not yielding the lead. He kept Ninovic honest throughout but could not mount a late attack once the race restarted. Behind them, Hitech TGR’s Deagen Fairclough initially looked threatening, making an early move for second on lap one. Although he eventually settled into third, he ran consistently at the sharp end to claim his third podium of the season.

Battles through the field

Just behind the podium trio, Xcel Motorsport’s Patrick Heuzenroeder enjoyed a strong opening lap that briefly brought him into podium contention. Although he ultimately had to yield to Fairclough, he secured fourth place and maintained his title push. Elite Motorsport’s Will Macintyre completed the top five after a composed drive, finishing just over a second ahead of Hillspeed’s Hiyu Yamakoshi in sixth.

Further back, Rodin teammates Gianmarco Pradel and Abbi Pulling went wheel-to-wheel in the fight for seventh. Despite sustained pressure from Pulling, Pradel held firm to keep the position to the flag. JHR Developments locked out the final two points-paying spots, with Kai Daryanani taking ninth ahead of teammate Noah Lisle.