Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Ninovic and Argenti with Prema’s Reza Seewooruthun claimed a GB3 pole each in wet and windy conditions at Donington Park.
Two days of pre-event testing preceded Saturday’s qualifying, and it was Hitech GP’s Keanu Al Azhari who set the pace. Xcel Motorsport’s Partick Heuzenroeder registered a 1m22.789s lap in between two red flag periods to lead session one by 0.362 seconds from Kai Daryanani and Abbi Pulling who both posted identical times.
Championship leader Ninovic lowered the pace to 1m22.565s moments before session two was ended early by red flags. Having been best of the rest, Al Azhari then beat Ninovic’s benchmark by 0.044s with less than five minutes remaining of session three. The Emirati improved further to 1m22.379s as the chequered flag, with Ninovic 0.2s behind.
Friday’s running was disrupted by persisitent rain, with Ninovic, Al Alzhari and Deagen Fairclough topping a session each. Al Azhari ended testing 0.186s clear of Ninovic, with Fairclough, Heuzenroeder and Red Bull junior Enzo Tarnvanickul all within half a second of the pace.
The changeable conditions continued into qualifying, with drivers initially heading out on slicks in Q1. Heuzenroeder led at the halfway stage with a 1m25.219s, but soon he was shuffled down the order. JHR Developments’ Noah Lisle knocked a second off the benchmark, and Ninovic lowered the pace further to 1m23.878s just before team-mate Gianmarco Pradel brought proceedings to a halt by crashing at Fogarty esses.
Rain started to fall once the track returned to green, and Ninovic retained his 0.164s gap at the top to Lisle, with Seewooruthun, Heuzenroeder and Fairclough completing the top six.
Drivers fitted wet tyres for Q2, and Lisle led Seewooruthun by 0.035s seven minutes in. He remained ahead until three minutes remaining, when he was eclipsed by Ninovic, and then Seewooruthun – the latter clinching race two pole by almost half a second with a 1m34.174s.
Fortec Motorsports’ Liam McNeilly impressed on his GB3 debut by clinching third late on, with Fairclough fourth ahead of Lisle and Tarnvanichkul.
GB3 returnee Max Taylor will start the first two races from 18th and 16th respectively for debuting team Race Lab.
Rodin duo Pulling and Pradel, as well as Elite Motorsport’s Flynn Jackes and Bianca Bustamante, were subsequently excluded from both qualifying sessions for failing to attend post-qualification weighing within the 15-minute deadline.
Qualifying round-up
Race 1 grid
1 Alex Ninovic Rodin Motorsport 1m23.878s
2 Noah Lisle JHR Developments +0.164s
3 Reza Seewooruthun Argenti w/Prema +0.370s
4 Patrick Heuzenroeder Xcel Motorsport +0.643s
5 Deagen Fairclough Hitech GP +0.809s
6 Kai Daryanani JHR Developments +0.876s
7 Jack Sherwood Xcel Motorsport +0.894s
8 Enzo Tarnvanichkul Velocity Racing Development +0.911s
9 Keanu Al Azhari Hitech GP +0.971s
10 Bart Harrison JHR Developments +1.012s
Race 2 grid
1 Seewooruthun 1m34.174s
2 Ninovic +0.481s
3 Liam McNeilly Fortec Motorsports +0.651s
4 Fairclough +0.750s
5 Lisle +0.779s
6 Tarnvanichkul +0.970s
7 Gonzalez +1.015s
8 Heuzenroeder +1.050s
9 Kabir Anurag Xcel Motorsport +1.303s
10 Lucas Fluxa +1.329s