Rodin Motorsport’s Gianmarco Pradel delivered the standout performance as the GB3 Championship event weekend at the Hungaroring began with two test sessions on Thursday. The Australian’s speed established him as the early benchmark heading into Round 4.
Morning pace proves decisive
In cooler morning conditions, Pradel set the overall fastest lap of the day, recording a 1m38.327s. His effort was particularly impressive, since it was more than 1.3 seconds quicker than the circuit’s 2024 pole time. Moreover, he ended the half-hour session nearly three tenths clear of teammate Abbi Pulling, who secured second on the combined timesheet.
Xcel Motorsport’s Patrick Heuzenroeder, currently one of the main title challengers, followed closely in third. He lapped just under half a second slower than Pradel, maintaining the strong Australian presence at the sharp end of the order.
Schwarze and Seewooruthun keep pressure on
Behind the leading trio, VRD Racing’s Hugo Schwarze claimed fourth spot, finishing a couple of tenths back and narrowly edging out Reza Seewooruthun of Argenti with Prema by just 0.065s. The Mauritian driver continues to build confidence after his maiden podium at Spa.
Meanwhile, reigning British F4 champion Deagen Fairclough slotted into sixth, only 0.824s away from the top. His Hitech TGR teammate Keanu Al Azhari followed closely in seventh, adding further strength to the team’s front-running pace.
Afternoon session shaped by rising heat
As track temperatures climbed to nearly 60°C in the afternoon—some 18 degrees warmer than the morning—the lap times inevitably slowed by over a second. Even so, Al Azhari rose to the top of the session, proving his adaptability in the extreme heat. However, no one could threaten Pradel’s morning benchmark, leaving the Rodin Motorsport driver firmly in control of the day’s combined order.
Mercedes junior Yuanpu Cui placed eighth overall for Argenti with Prema, edging Noah Lisle of JHR Developments by just 0.082s. Cui’s teammate Lucas Fluxa rounded out the top ten, ensuring that Argenti ended the day with three cars in the leading group.
Ninovic and Macintyre lower down the order
Championship leader Alex Ninovic endured a quieter day, finishing 11th overall. Interestingly, he was one of only two drivers to post his best lap in the hotter afternoon session, a sign that he may be working on long-run performance rather than outright speed. Elite Motorsport’s Will Macintyre, last year’s Hungarian points leader, ranked 12th, just ahead of JHR’s Kai Daryanani.
Further back, Jack Sherwood placed 14th for Xcel, with Elite Motorsport teammates Flynn Jackes and Bianca Bustamante completing the classification. Bustamante faced a challenging day in the rising heat but will look to regroup in Friday’s extended practice runs.
Looking ahead to the weekend
Track action resumes on Friday with two free practice sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, scheduled for 11.36 and 16.59 local time. With conditions expected to remain hot, teams and drivers will continue to balance outright pace with tyre management in preparation for qualifying and the races to come.
Classification: Hungaroring: Combined Testing
- Gianmarco Pradel – Rodin Motorsport – 1m38.327s
- Abbi Pulling – Rodin Motorsport – +0.294s
- Patrick Heuzenroeder – Xcel Motorsport – +0.464s
- Hugo Schwarze – VRD Racing – +0.694s
- Reza Seewooruthun – Argenti with Prema – +0.759s
- Deagen Fairclough – Hitech TGR – +0.824s
- Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech TGR – +0.914s
- Yuanpu Cui – Argenti with Prema – +0.968s
- Noah Lisle – JHR Developments – +1.050s
- Lucas Fluxa – Argenti with Prema – +1.109s
- Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport – +1.135s
- Will Macintyre – Elite Motorsport – +1.242s
- Kai Daryanani – JHR Developments – +1.294s
- Jack Sherwood – Xcel Motorsport – +1.463s
- Flynn Jackes – Elite Motorsport – +1.606s
- Bianca Bustamante – Elite Motorsport – +2.839s
