Home Formula 3GB3 Bennett leads practice for GB3’s Brands Hatch finale

Bennett leads practice for GB3’s Brands Hatch finale

by Steve Whitfield

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

 

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 John Bennett JHR Developments 1m19.545s 14
2 Louis Sharp Rodin Motorsport 1m19.635s +0.090s 13
3 McKenzy Cresswell Elite Motorsport 1m19.839s +0.294s 12
4 Tymek Kucharczyk Hitech GP 1m19.844s +0.299s 14
5 Will Macintyre Hitech GP 1m20.013s +0.468s 14
6 Jarrod Waberski Elite Motorsport 1m20.103s +0.558s 12
7 Gerrard Xie Hitech GP 1m20.208s +0.663s 13
8 Callum Voisin Rodin Motorsport 1m20.467s +0.922s 11
9 James Hedley Chris Dittmann Racing 1m20.489s +0.944s 14
10 Arthur Rogeon Rodin Motorsport 1m20.579s +1.034s 14
11 Tom Mills Chris Dittmann Racing 1m20.583s +1.038s 13
12 Hugo Schwarze Elite Motorsport 1m20.593s +1.048s 12
13 Seb Murray Chris Dittmann Racing 1m20.877s +1.332s 10
14 Josh Irfan JHR Developments 1m20.970s +1.425s 12
15 Noah Ping VRD by Arden 1m21.162s +1.617s 11
16 Patrick Heuzenroeder JHR Developments 1m21.231s +1.686s 13
17 Shawn Rashid VRD by Arden 1m21.245s +1.700s 11
18 Aditya Kulkarni Hillspeed 1m21.521s +1.976s 14
19 Colin Queen Fortec Motorsports 1m21.790s +2.245s 10
20 Nikita Johnson VRD by Arden 1m22.739s +3.194s 12