Rodin Motorsport's Gianmarco Pradel launched from second on the grid to take his first GB3 Championship victory in the first race of the weekend at the Hungaroring.
The Australian got the better of a slow starting pole-sitter Keanu Al Azhari, who dropped to fourth on the first lap, with Elite's Will Macintyre taking second. Al Azhari recovered to third with a move on Rodin's championship leader Alex Ninovic, who finished fourth.
Xcel Motorsport's Patrick Heuzenroeder claimed fifth place ahead of Hitech TGR's Deagen Fairclough, who had to fend off a fast charging Reza Seewooruthun, who powered his Argenti with Prema car to seventh from 11th on the grid.
JHR Developments contenders Noah Lisle and Kai Daryanani were eighth and ninth ahead of the second Argenti with Prema car of Lucas Fluxa who completed the top-10. Fluxa however was handed a one second time penalty post-race for forcing Abbi Pulling off the track. Pulling was promoted into the top-10 as a result.
Al Azhari's slow start handed a golden opportunity for fellow front row starter Pradel to seize the initiative, and he did just that by blasting into the lead on the run to turn one, while Macintyre from fourth on the grid passed not just Al Azhari but Ninovic too.
Pradel immediately built a lead of over a second at the end of lap one, but Macintyre was able to get within DRS range before the safety car was deployed at the end of lap four, with the Elite Motorsport car of Flynn Jackes stranded out on track.
Pradel made an excellent restart on lap seven to rebuild his lead, while behind, Al Azhari reclaimed a place on the podium with a lunge on Ninovic at turn one.
Ninovic wasn't about to give up the fight though, and set about retaking the position from the Emirati. Both drivers soon closed up on Macintyre, making it a three way fight for second place.
All this allowed Pradel to pull out a growing lead, extending it to over three seconds at the chequered flag. Macintyre somehow rebuffed multiple challenges from Al Azhari to hold on to second place, with the three-car battle for second covered by just over six tenths of a second crossing the line at the end of the race.
The result gives Ninovic a slightly extended 10 point lead at the top of the standings, while Pradel moves up to third after his first win.
GB3 action resumes at 11.05 local time on Sunday, with the championship leader set to start race two from pole.
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Hungaroring race one result:
1. Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, 15 laps
2. Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +3.166s
3. Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech TGR, +3.548s
4. Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, +3.863s
5. Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +5.914s
6. Deagen Fairclough, Hitech TGR, +8.297s
7. Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +10.029s
8. Noah Lisle, JHR Developments, +10.854s
9. Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +12.174s
10. Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +13.303s
11. Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +13.656s
12. Yuanpu Cui, Argenti with Prema, +13.863s
13. Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +15.282s
14. Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +19.627s
DNF. Hugo Schwarze, VRD Racing, 10 laps completed
DNF. Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, 3 laps completed