GB3 | 2025 | Race 1 | Monza | Ninovic holds firm to take victory in opening race - Motorsport

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Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic continued his exceptional 2025 season by taking a composed victory in the first GB3 race of the weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The newly crowned champion resisted race-long pressure from fellow Australian Patrick Heuzenroeder to claim his ninth win of the year and extend his record of dominance in 2025.

Controlled start and early drama

From pole position, Ninovic made a strong getaway as the lights went out. Heuzenroeder launched well from the front row and challenged into the first chicane, but he was forced to take to the run-off area to avoid contact. However, the action was quickly interrupted.

A multi-car collision on the approach to the chicane eliminated JHR Developments’ Kai Daryanani and Elite Motorsport debutant Isaac Phelps. Meanwhile, further around Curva Grande, a separate three-car incident ended the races of Rodrigo Gonzalez and Bart Harrison. With four cars stranded in dangerous positions, officials deployed the red flag to stop the race.

After a short delay, the contest restarted over ten laps, with the grid reformed in original qualifying order. This ensured Ninovic retained pole, ahead of Heuzenroeder and Hitech TGR’s Deagen Fairclough.

Opening lap chaos at 2025 GB3 Monza Race 1 — Photo Credit: GB3 Championship | Jakob Ebrey

Restart and Safety Car intervention

When racing resumed, Ninovic again executed a clean launch and maintained control into the first chicane. Heuzenroeder followed closely in second, while Fairclough slotted into third. Despite the strong slipstream effect down Monza’s long straights, Ninovic managed to keep a gap of over half a second at the end of the opening lap.

However, the Safety Car was deployed soon after when Bianca Bustamante spun at the first chicane following contact. Although she was able to rejoin the race, the incident required a brief neutralisation. Ninovic took full advantage of the situation, controlling the pace as he led the field through Parabolica ahead of the restart.

When the green flags waved, Ninovic timed his acceleration perfectly to hold position into the Variante del Rettifilo. From that point, the Rodin Motorsport driver faced unrelenting pressure from Heuzenroeder, who remained within striking distance lap after lap.

Ninovic breaks clear late on

As the race settled, Ninovic focused on maintaining composure while his rival sat just a few tenths behind. Heuzenroeder repeatedly used the tow to close the gap, but Ninovic defended smartly and placed his car with precision at every braking zone. For much of the race, the margin hovered around half a second, as the two Australians traded fastest sectors.

Nevertheless, with two laps remaining, Ninovic finally managed to escape the slipstream. He extended his lead to nine tenths of a second on lap nine and then pulled clear by over 1.6 seconds at the flag. His performance demonstrated patience and tactical intelligence under sustained pressure.

Heuzenroeder finished a strong second, strengthening his grip on the runner-up position in the championship standings. Behind them, Ninovic’s teammate Gianmarco Pradel completed the all-Australian podium. The Rodin driver produced a decisive move around the outside of Fairclough at the Ascari chicane on the penultimate lap to secure third place.

Impressive debuts and close battles

Fairclough crossed the line in fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium after defending hard in the closing stages. Behind him, Hillspeed’s debutants impressed once again, with Newman Chi and Maxim Rehm finishing fifth and sixth respectively on their first GB3 appearances. Both drivers maintained consistent pace and avoided the early chaos.

Further back, Reza Seewooruthun claimed seventh for Argenti with Prema, while Lucas Fluxa ensured all three Hillspeed cars finished inside the top eight. Rodin’s Abbi Pulling secured ninth, and JHR’s Noah Lisle completed the top ten after a determined drive through the field from 17th on the grid.

The race underlined Ninovic’s dominance and composure under pressure, while also showcasing the strength of Australia’s rising stars on the international stage. With his ninth victory of the year, the champion once again demonstrated why he has been the benchmark throughout the 2025 GB3 Championship.

The second race of the weekend will take place on Sunday morning at 09:45 local time.