Meanwhile fellow Aussie Griffin Peebles overcame difficulties in qualifying to salvage two point-scoring results to go from equal points leader to be out in front on his own.

The first of three time certain races was barely started when it was red flagged. Maciej Gladysz stalled and was hit by Ernesto Rivera.

Pole sitter Keanu Alazhari led from the restart and won ahead of Beeton whose US Racing’s teammate and fellow countryman Gianmarco Pradel was third. The three were over 5s ahead of the rest when the red flags were out again. This time it was for Nathanael Berreby stranded in the gravel 4mins from the end.

MP Motorsport’s Peebles began from 17th and was able to snare 10th just a couple of minutes earlier. His nearest rival in the points, Andres Cardenas had started third but spun early and eventually finished 14th.

Peebles’ teammate Peter Bouzinelos was classified 31st. He qualified just inside the top 20 and had progressed to 12th when he had an incident which had him and Francisco Macedo off the road. Bouzinelos’ luck didn’t improve as he was involved in an early shunt in Race 2 and was pushed off the Race 3 grid with gear selection issues.

Race 2 was a three-way thriller after three safety car periods. Beeton was in front of Alazhari and Thomas Strauven as they started the last lap. Beeton ran just wide enough at Turn 15 on the penultimate lap for the pair to slip by at Turn 1 on the last. Strauven took the win ahead of Alazhari and Beeton.

Pradel was 10th when he speared off at Turn 12. He pitted with a puncture and resumed for 26th. Peebles finished 14th and was comforted by Cardenas who was a DNF after taken out by his Campos Racing teammate James Egozi.

The remaining Aussies that started Race 3 all finished in the top five. Beeton was a close second behind Egozi while Pradel passed Peebles just before a second safety car to secure third as Peebles was a close fourth.

On the same program was a non-championship round of Eurocup 3 where Aussie Noah Lisle qualified fifth in a small field of 14. He was lucky not to be hit by an out-of-control Michael Shin but was later hit and put out of Race 1 by Theodore Jensen.

In Race 2 Lisle was fourth early, which became third when the second placed driver slowed and pitted. Over the final laps Lisle was able to hold off two rivals to keep the spot. Valero Rinicella won both races.