Last Saturday, the third round of the Malta National GT3 Championship 2025, organised in collaboration with the Malta Motorsport Federation, powered by Enemed, and supported by Gaming Malta and Motorsport Malta, unfolded at the virtual Red Bull Ring. While not among the most favoured circuits for many competitors, it remained a crucial round in the five-race national calendar, with every point now critical as the championship moves into its final stages.
The weekend opened with Team Eversio once again showing pace early in practice, though as always, the team and other drivers appeared to hold back, a known tactic to conceal their true performance before qualifying.
In the short yet intense 10-minute qualifying session, the battle for pole quickly became a three-way contest. Aaron Debattista initially set the benchmark lap, but soon found himself under threat as Mikhail Mercieca and Brandon Bonello traded fastest laps, with Ilan Dimech Ghirxi lurking close behind.
As time ticked away, Mercieca momentarily reclaimed provisional pole with a 1:29.171, but in a dramatic final lap, Bonello crossed the line with a stunning 1:29.087, edging out his teammate by just 0.084 seconds. Dimech Ghirxi followed in third, clocking 1:29.508, while Debattista’s run left him disappointed in fourth.
The rolling start saw Bonello launch perfectly, maintaining control of the field as the 30-minute race got underway. Teammate Mercieca tucked in behind, while Debattista made an early move on Dimech Ghirxi to secure third place. However, the race soon turned challenging for Ghirxi, who ran wide just three minutes in, an uncharacteristic mistake that cost him valuable time and opened the door for Goran Andreevski and Jean Pierre Caruana to slip through. Andreevski, in particular, impressed with his race craft, holding off Ghirxi for several laps through firm yet fair defensive driving. But eventually, Ghirxi’s persistence paid off as he reclaimed fourth place.
At the front, Bonello continued to dictate the tempo. His smooth, consistent rhythm gradually built a small but comfortable gap over Mercieca, who remained within 1.5 seconds but never quite close enough to mount a serious attack. Further back, Debattista regrouped after his early off-track moment, holding steady in third and securing critical championship points despite not being on top form.
In the end, it was another dominant victory for Brandon Bonello, his calm and calculated approach proving once again that he’s the driver to beat this season. Mikhail Mercieca followed in second, with Aaron Debattista rounding out the podium.
“I honestly don’t know what happened today. The pace wasn’t there, and that’s not acceptable at this level. I need to evaluate what went wrong. Two rounds left and I have to win.”
Aaron Debattista
“After qualifying, I knew it would be a calm race. Bonello was quicker in sector two, and I couldn’t stay close enough to challenge without risking too much. Debattista was five seconds back and a mistake would’ve cost everything. It’s going to be a tough fight until the end.”
Mikhail Mercieca
“It wasn’t an easy one. There were moments where I had better pace, but Mercieca stayed close, sometimes under a second, so I had to stay fully focused. Sector one was his strength; I maximised my advantage elsewhere. Two rounds to go and I’ll keep pushing to maintain the streak.”
Brandon Bonello
While this round lacked the chaotic action seen in Imola, it underlined the strategic nature of top-level GT3 racing.
With only two rounds remaining, the Malta National GT3 Championship 2025 is entering its decisive phase. Bonello’s continued form places him as the favourite for the national title, but with Mercieca close behind and Debattista determined to strike back, the battle for the title is far from over.
