GranforsRacing

• Fortec Swede the blink of an eye from victory at Snetterton 
• Close racing between title rivals as Granfors/Browning battles entertain

Joel Granfors clinched a fresh pair of podiums in this weekend’s mid-season round of the GB3 Championship at Snetterton, the Swede coming within fractions of victory after an entertaining duel with main title rival Luke Browning. 

Granfors was a regular frontrunner throughout the Norfolk meeting, going second fastest across Thursday and Friday testing and then repeating the same performance to take P2 in qualifying.

Lining up on the front row for both of the opening two races of the weekend, Granfors duly converted his grid slots into a brace of rostrum visits, taking his fifth and sixth podium finishes of the year after some serious battling.

A slow getaway cost the Fortec youngster one position at the start of Race 1, with Browning – second behind Granfors in the standings going into the weekend – able to slip ahead.

It set up a fierce tussle not only for second, as Granfors put Browning under immense pressure, but also for the win as both title rivals shadowed eventual winner Callum Voisin throughout the 12-lap encounter.

The Granfors/Browning saga then stepped up another gear in Race 2, with the pair sharing the front row of the grid and Granfors frantically pressurising Browning for victory.

The British Hitech GP driver managed to defend his lead throughout, however, with Granfors eventually crossing the line a mere 0.235s behind; the equivalent of a human blink.

”It’s been a good weekend, with two podiums and strong pace throughout,” says Joel Granfors. “It’s definitely a good result, and it’s been really close between Luke and I all weekend. I did feel quicker than him, but it’s hard to overtake around Snetterton and he did a good job defending. Tight, close racing, and next time hopefully the margins will be on my side instead.”

In the concluding reverse-grid race on Sunday afternoon, Granfors went from 21st to 16th, picking up some further crucial championship points. 

With exactly half the season now completed, Granfors now sits second in the GB3 standings, just 11 points behind new leader Browning. Meanwhile, the top two have opened up a 40-point gap over third-placed Brazilian Roberto Faria.

“It’s obviously a little bit frustrating to drop some points to Luke this weekend, but we’re basically tied heading into the second half of the season,” Joel Granfors concludes. “It’s absolutely all to play for and I feel really confident with the pace we have at the moment. I’m up for the fight!” 

Next up on the GB3 Championship calendar is the only non-British round of the season, with Belgium’s iconic Spa-Francorchamps playing host to the next chapter in the title race on July 23-24.

Joel Granfors will pay a visit to Formula 1 world champions Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes premises on Monday, receiving his prize factory tour for leading the GB3 standings following last month’s Donington Park round.

RESULTS

GB3 Championship
Rd. 4 | Snetterton

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

GB3 Championship
After 4/8 rounds

1: Luke Browning (GBR), 239 p.
2: Joel Granfors (SWE), 228 p.
3: Roberto Faria (BRA), 187 p.
4: Max Esterson (USA), 181 p.
5: Callum Voisin (GBR), 172 p.

View full standings

• GB3 championship leader ready to do battle in mid-season triple-header
• Swedish Midsummer traditions and 17th birthday set joyful tone amid increasing on-track intensity

The GB3 Championship hits the halfway mark this weekend with a new trio of races at Snetterton – and overall leader Joel Granfors has got plenty of reasons to smile.

For a start, this weekend’s activities coincide with the tradition-steeped Swedish Midsummer festivities, a main holiday in Granfors’ native country in celebration of the summer solstice; the longest day of the year.

Adding to the joyous mood, Granfors also celebrates his 17th birthday on Friday.

On Monday, immediately after this weekend’s races, Granfors will then have the greatest thrill of all as he heads down to Milton Keynes for a private tour of Formula 1 World Champions Red Bull Racing’s premises. Granfors is invited courtesy of leading the GB3 Championship standings. 

Before then, however, three races are to be played out at Snetterton across Saturday and Sunday, with Granfors leading the way by a single point from Britain’s Luke Browning as racing resumes in Norfolk. 

TRACK GUIDE: Snetterton

“There is a lot going on over the next few days, and of course I’m looking particularly forward to the Red Bull Racing tour,” says Joel Granfors. “That will be a big day. As for right now, though, my focus is fully on the weekend ahead. I’m really enjoying Snetterton. It’s a technical track with a wide variety of corners, so you get a little bit of everything. The target this weekend is to extend my championship lead.”

Running at Snetterton begins with testing and practice on Thursday and Friday. Qualifying and Race 1 take place on Saturday, with the final two races of the meeting slated for Sunday.    

GUIDE: GB3 Championship – how it works

Live streaming is available for all races throughout the entire season. Streaming will be accessible through the GB3 website and social platforms, as well as directly from the start page at www.joelgranfors.com. 

• Swede stays in front in GB3 championship standings 
• Mixed fortunes include pole position, retirement from lead and podium visit

Joel Granfors picked up a podium to mark the highlight of a weekend of ups and downs in round three of the GB3 Championship campaign at Donington Park. 

The Swedish teenager entered the meeting on top of the championship standings after winning last time out at Silverstone, and duly continued to feature at the sharp end of the 22-car field – notably storming to his third pole position of the season in qualifying. 

Granfors’ bid for another win were quickly dashed in the first race of the weekend, however, as the Fortec racer tangled with reigning British F4 champion Matthew Rees while battling for the lead on the first lap.

The front-row pair ran spectacularly side by side through the first couple of corners, but eventually made contact as Rees attempted a bold move around the outside at McLean’s, clattering the left rear wheel of Granfors’ Fortec machine.

Spun around at high speed, Granfors retired on the spot with broken suspension, while Rees managed to continue to a points-paying finish.

”It was a frustrating situation, to be honest,” says Joel Granfors. “He went for a move that was never going to happen, hit my rear tyre, and it ended up costing me the most. I wasn’t very happy with how that played out, especially having started from pole, but I guess that’s part of racing and you always learn something along the way.”

Granfors didn’t have to wait long to make amends, however, scoring a podium finish for P3 in the subsequent Race 2. He then capped off the event with a strong rise from 21st to 11th in the final, reverse-grid encounter.

Through all the events of the weekend, Granfors maintains his lead in the GB3 Championship standings. Crucially, a series initiative will net the points leader at this particular stage of the season a prize visit to the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team premises later this summer.

”It’s been up and down this weekend, but in the end we’ve shown that we had the pace and I think we recovered quite well from what happened in Race 1,” Joel Granfors concludes. “I’m very happy that we managed to maintain the lead of the championship; I really can’t wait to visit Red Bull Racing and see an F1 team operating up close.”

The next GB3 Championship round takes place at Snetterton on June 25-26.

RESULTS

GB3 Championship
Rd. 3 | Donington Park

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

STANDINGS

GB3 Championship
After 3/8 rounds

1: Joel Granfors (SWE), 168 p.
2: Luke Browning (GBR), 167 p.
3: Max Esterson (USA), 145 p.
4: Roberto Faria (BRA), 143 p.
5: Callum Voisin (GBR), 132 p.

View full standings

• Confidence running high following first win of the season
• Fortec Swede looking for victory repeat as GB3 campaign continues 

Joel Granfors heads to Donington Park this weekend aiming to defend his GB3 Championship points lead in the third round of the season.

Granfors snatched the advantage in the British single-seater series last time out at Silverstone, storming to a double pole position, his first win of the season, and an eye-catching drive from 20th to ninth in the reverse-grid race that concluded the meeting.

That effort has placed Granfors on top of the standings, three points clear of Britain’s Luke Browning, as the GB3 fraternity sets camp at Donington Park for the next showdown.

TRACK GUIDE: Donington Park

“It’s nice to be leading the championship, and Silverstone was a great event for us,” says Joel Granfors. “Weekends like that really strengthen you in so many ways, and I’m excited to remain in that bubble at Donington. We clearly have the pace to go for wins and podiums, so that will be the obvious goal again this weekend. We just have to keep pushing and do what we already do.”

This weekend’s GB3 contest follows the traditional structure of testing and practice on Thursday and Friday, followed by qualifying and a trio of races across Saturday and Sunday.    

GUIDE: GB3 Championship – how it works

Live streaming is available for all races throughout the entire season. Streaming will be accessible through the GB3 website and social platforms, as well as directly from the start page at www.joelgranfors.com. 

• 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

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

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.

View full standings

• Legendary Grand Prix venue hosts round two of the season
• Granfors looking to build on curtain-raiser podium

Round two of the 2022 GB3 Championship takes the UK’s leading single-seater series to hallowed ground, as the legendary Silverstone Grand Prix circuit plays host to racing this weekend. Joel Granfors arrives on the back of a podium in the opening round of the season – and knows there is potential for more.   

Granfors enjoyed a promising start to his first GB3 campaign on Easter weekend at Oulton Park, leaving the curtain-raiser with a third-place finish as he took the flag as the top rookie in Race 2 of the triple-header round.

While that effort gave Granfors and his Fortec Motorsports squad a solid foundation on which to build for the rest of the season, it also contained a sense of what could have been after the Swede qualified second for both non reverse-grid races and set the pace in pre-event testing.  

“We had a good first round at Oulton Park, racking up some decent and strong points,” says Joel Granfors. “Having said that, we felt that it wasn’t the smoothest of events for us, with a penalty after qualifying, a gearbox issue in Race 1 and a poor start in Race 2. We know there is pace for more and that’s what we’re hoping to prove this weekend.”

TRACK GUIDE: Silverstone GP

This weekend’s races play out around the full Silverstone Grand Prix layout, which annually hosts the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. 

“It’s a great track, lots of fun to drive and very different in style to Oulton Park – although I love Oulton too,” Joel Granfors concludes. “The main difference is in the overtaking opportunities, with Silverstone being such a wide and fast track. It usually produces very close racing, so I think we’re in for three entertaining races. Especially the reverse-grid race should be more eventful here.

“We’ve been quick in testing at Silverstone and hopefully we can have a strong weekend.”

GUIDE: GB3 Championship – how it works

GB3 action gets underway at Silverstone on Thursday with four test sessions. A further two practice outings are scheduled for Friday, followed by qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday. Races 2 and 3 take place on Sunday, with the last heat being the reverse-grid event.

Live streaming is available for all races throughout the entire season. Streaming will be accessible through the GB3 website and social platforms, as well as directly from the start page at www.joelgranfors.com. 

• Swede displays rapid pace as season gets underway at Oulton Park 
• On-debut podium lays promising foundation for remainder of campaign

Joel Granfors enjoyed a strong start to the 2022 GB3 Championship at Oulton Park, picking up a podium at this weekend’s season-opener.

The Swede opened proceedings on Easter weekend with sixth place in the first race of the triple-header meeting on Saturday, despite getting stuck in fifth gear on the final lap, and was on form again as action resumed on Monday.
 
Granfors came home in third place in the first race of the day, finishing as the top GB3 first-timer behind Britain’s Luke Browning and Brazilian Roberto Faria, who both competed in the series in 2021.
 
“It’s good to be on the podium on my first weekend in GB3, I’m pleased with that,” says Joel Granfors. “I started second but got away poorly from the dirty side of the grid and dropped to third, which was a bit of a shame, but P3 is a solid foundation to build on for the rest of the season.”
Granfors later went on to complete a mature climb from 18th to 15th in the reverse-grid final race of the weekend, the Fortec Motorsports youngster pulling off a pair of committed moves at a track otherwise infamous for its lack of overtaking opportunities. 
 
The score across the opening round of the season leaves Granfors a tied fourth in the early GB3 Championship standings. 
 
Granfors demonstrated frontrunning pace throughout the weekend, leading the way in pre-event testing on Thursday and qualifying second fastest – just fractions off pole position – for both the first and second races.
 
“The most important part of this weekend was getting confirmation of our pace,” Granfors concludes. “It has looked good throughout the winter in testing, but racing is racing and it’s now clear to see that we’re definitely in the game. We didn’t have a perfect weekend, but we still go away from here with plenty of points and solid results, so we are confident going forward.”
 
The next round of the GB3 Championship takes place at Silverstone on May 7-8.

RESULTS

GB3 Championship
Rd. 1 | Oulton Park

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

STANDINGS

GB3 Championship
After 1/8 rounds

1: Luke Browning (GBR), 70 p.
2: Roberto Faria (BRA), 63 p.
3: John Bennett (GBR), 47 p.
4: Matthew Rees (GBR), 45 p.
5: Joel Granfors (SWE), 45 p.

View full standings

Joel continued to feature at the sharp end of the timesheets on the final day of GB3 testing at Oulton Park, going second fastest across Friday’s two concluding sessions ahead of this weekend’s hotly anticipated season-opener.

After topping the times on Thursday, Joel wound up a close second to Hitech GP’s Luke Browning in both Friday sessions. Browning – who counts Oulton Park as his home venue – has celebrated considerable success at the Cheshire track in the past, winning all three races at the circuit en route to the British F4 title in 2020 and making a victorious GB3 debut in front of the local crowd last year.

Joel ended up 0.157s behind Browning in the first session of the day, before working his way down to a mere 0.053s deficit in session two.

Behind the top two, reigning champions Carlin took experienced Brazilian Roberto Faria to third on the timesheets, one tenth down on Joel.

With 15 of the 21 drivers lapping within a second of the ultimate pace, the stage is set for a dramatic first qualifying session of the season on Saturday, as Joel bids to carry his strong test form into a pole position charge tomorrow morning. 

“It’s been pretty much plain sailing,” Joel comments at the end of Friday. “There are always small things to improve, and currently we’re working on the balance of the car in slow corners, but on the whole we’re very close to where we want to be. I feel confident in the car and I can push it to the limit the way I need to. Now, it’s all about getting those laps together when it counts in qualifying. It will be close, but we’re in the mix and I’m feeling ready.”

The first qualifying session of 2022 takes centre stage at 11.05 local UK time on Saturday. The 20-minute session will shape the grids for all three of the weekend’s races. For a reminder on the GB3 event structure, please click here.

Time table – Saturday 16 April (local UK time)

Qualifying: 11.05-11.25
Race 1: 14.45-15.05