Bennett leads practice for GB3’s Brands Hatch finale

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

JHR Developments’ John Bennett edged title rival Louis Sharp to the quickest time in free practice at the GB3 season finale on Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout.

The top of the timesheet changed hands throughout the 20-minute session as drivers laid down rubber on a dry circuit, with Rodin Motorsport’s Sharp leading the way at the halfway stage with a 1m22.051s.

Hitech GP’s title outsider Will Macintyre then lowered the pace to 1m21.992s before Sharp reclaimed the advantage by lapping almost 0.5 seconds faster.

Velocity Racing Development by Arden’s Noah Ping was next to take top spot with a 1m21.162s, with Macintyre improving to take second away from Sharp, but the trio were soon pipped by Bennett’s 1m20.995s.

Sharp regained first place once more with a 1m20.934s, improved by 0.7s on his next lap and, after being demoted by Elite Motorsport’ McKenzy Cresswell, the New Zealander swiftly moved back ahead with a 1m19.635s.

Bennett then set a session-topping 1m19.545s to deny Sharp by 0.09s while Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech’s main title contender, was just 0.005s behind Cresswell in fourth.

Macintyre and Elite’s Jarrod Waberski both improved on their final efforts to take fifth and sixth ahead of Hitech’s Gerrard Xie.

Reigning champion Callum Voisin (Rodin) was eighth ahead of fellow series returnee James Hedley (Chris Dittmann Racing), the last of the drivers within a second of Bennett, while Voisin’s team-mate Arthur Rogeon edged CDR’s GB3 debutant Tom Mills to 10th by 0.004s.

The final qualifying session of 2024 takes place at 11:40 local time.

Free practice results