- Swede snatches championship lead in emphatic Silverstone display
- Fortec racer delivers big with double pole positions, victory and second place
Joel Granfors scored his first GB3 Championship victory and took over at the top of the standings as he delivered a powerful exhibit of speed at Silverstone this weekend.
Granfors was in imperious form throughout the second round of the season, topping the times in both testing and qualifying – where he stormed to a double pole position – and racking up a trio of strong race results.
The Fortec Motorsports teenager got proceedings off to the best possible start by clinching a lights-to-flag victory in the opening race on Saturday, pocketing his first win of 2022. Meanwhile, the success also marked the first victory for a Swedish driver in the ex-British F3 series’ new era as GB3.
Granfors then started on pole again in Race 2, although this time around he was passed by fellow front-row starter Tom Lebbon on the opening lap and had to make do with a still highly respectable second place.
“What a weekend,” says Joel Granfors. “Fastest in practice, fastest in qualifying, and taking my first win… I couldn’t really have asked for more. The pace has been fantastic this weekend. We took pole by over three tenths and the car has been perfect. I want to thank all the guys on the team and everyone behind me who has helped make this possible.”
Ironically, Granfors’ chart-topping performance in qualifying inevitably left him in a much less enviable position ahead of the concluding third race of the event, which features a full reversal of the entire grid.
As such, Granfors set off from the back of the pack in 20th place; but he would not remain there for long.
Quickly making gains as the race got underway, Granfors powered through in commanding style, eventually battling all the way up to ninth place – making up the most positions of anyone in the field.
With erstwhile points-topper Luke Browning down in 17th, the effort was enough to propel Granfors into a slender championship lead, where he now sits three points clear of Browning after six of 24 scheduled races.
“It’s great to lead the championship obviously, but it’s still very early days and it’s not really something I worry about too much at this stage,” Joel Granfors admits. “We’ve shown that we have the pace, so it’s not us who need to change anything. All we have to do is make sure we don’t become complacent, keep working hard and not lean back. We’ve got plenty more races to win, so we’ll charge as hard as ever.”
The GB3 Championship resumes at Donington Park on May 28-29.
RESULTS
GB3 Championship
Rd. 2 | Silverstone
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
GB3 Championship
After 2/8 rounds
1: Joel Granfors (SWE), 127 p.
2: Luke Browning (GBR), 124 p.
3: Roberto Faria (BRA), 95 p.
4: Tom Lebbon (GBR), 92 p.
5: John Bennett (GBR), 83 p.