GranforsRacing

• The UK’s premier single-seater series kicks off at Oulton Park on Easter weekend
• Swedish rookie “as ready as I can be” following strong pre-season form

Joel Granfors is raring to go as the 2022 GB3 Championship – the UK’s leading single-seater series – springs to life at Oulton Park on Easter weekend.   

Granfors steps up to GB3 – previously known as British Formula 3 – this season following a successful first campaign in international motorsport last year in British Formula 4.

The Swedish teenager remains at Fortec Motorsports, the same team which ran him to fourth overall in the 2021 F4 standings, as he bids to capitalise on a highly promising pre-season period that has included several pace-setting performances in winter testing – most recently on Tuesday at opening-round venue Oulton Park.

TRACK GUIDE: Oulton Park

“We have had pretty close to a perfect pre-season period, with plenty of constructive testing, strong pace and basically no issues at all with the new car,” says Joel Granfors. “The test here yesterday continued along the same lines and we really think we’re on the right path. I love driving the GB3 car and I feel as ready as I can be. I’m excited to finally get back to racing!”

This weekend’s curtain-raiser ushers in a new era for the GB3 Championship, featuring updated, faster cars, more powerful engines, an extensive new media package and increased grid numbers. More than 20 drivers, from across eight different countries, are entered into the 2022 championship – which promises to be the most competitive in years.

ENTRY LIST: 2022 GB3 Championship

Joining Joel Granfors in a three-car Fortec line-up are sophomore Dane Mikkel Grundtvig – a two-time race winner in 2021 – and Britain’s Zak Taylor.

The opposition boasts some of the finest of UK single-seater racing, including multiple champions Carlin and current FIA Formula 2 championship leaders Hitech GP.

“We know that the competition will be stiff, just like you would expect at this level,” Joel Granfors concludes. “Things have been going very well over the winter, but at the end of the day I am a rookie in GB3 and there are many returning, fast drivers on the grid this year. It will be difficult to beat them, but that’s the challenge – and the target is to win.”

GUIDE: GB3 Championship – how it works

This weekend’s GB3 opener formally begins with two days of official testing on Thursday and Friday. Stakes are raised on Saturday for the first qualifying session and race of the season, with the field then taking Easter Sunday off before returning to the track on Monday for another two 20-minute races to complete the meeting.

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. 

– Formula 4 graduate encouraged by early pre-season feel
– Fortec racer hits the track at Oulton Park and Snetterton 

Joel Granfors has completed his first days of testing in the updated, 2022-spec GB3 Championship car, enjoying productive outings at Oulton Park and Snetterton this week.

Granfors is stepping up to GB3 – previously known as British Formula 3 – this season, extending his relationship with Fortec Motorsports following a race-winning campaign in the F4 British Championship last year.

Although the Swede did complete two days of exploratory GB3 testing before Christmas, work for 2022 began in earnest this week as Granfors laid hands on the new Tatuus MSV-022 chassis for the first time.

The updated car ushers in a new era of enhanced performance for the championship, with a 25 % spike in aerodynamic downforce and an engine power increase from 230 to 250 bhp. 

Safety standards have also been improved thanks to the introduction of the F1-style halo and revised side-impact protection.

Granfors found himself immediately in sync with the new car, running on Tuesday at Oulton Park and on Thursday at Snetterton. 

“I think the new car is great,” says Joel Granfors. “It’s an all-round improvement over the old one, and from the first impression it’s especially impressive in fast corners thanks to the higher downforce. I have to say testing this week has gone extremely smooth. We’ve really had no issues at all, just chipping away at the set-ups and making myself comfortable in the car.”

In stepping up the UK single-seater ladder, Granfors will work with a mix of new and familiar faces this year in Fortec’s GB3 arm, including the team’s highly experienced chief race engineer Russell Dixon who has helped oversee some of the squad’s biggest successes over the last 20 years.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Russ this week,” Joel Granfors continues. “We did some work together last year in F4, but his main job is in GB3 and I’m excited to draw on his experience. The early signs are very promising and I couldn’t be happier. I look forward to picking up from here in the following tests.” 

Granfors will continue his GB3 testing programme across the coming weeks, as work intensifies in the lead-up to the season-opener at Oulton Park on 16-18 April.

– Swede inks fresh deal with Daventry outfit
– Eight rounds, 24 races set the scene in 2022

British Formula 4 race winner Joel Granfors will graduate to the GB3 Championship in 2022, extending his relationship with Fortec Motorsport for an attack on the UK’s top-tier single-seater series.
 
Granfors finished fourth overall in the F4 British Championship last year, remaining in title contention all the way into the season finale in what marked a successful first campaign of international competition.
 
Following encouraging tests in the next-level GB3 Championship this winter, a deal has now been agreed that will see Granfors join the grid in 2022, forming part of Fortec Motorsport’s line-up as the Swede retains his bonds with the Daventry-based squad.
 
“I’m thrilled to be stepping up to GB3 this year,” says Joel Granfors. “It’s been a very interesting winter in many ways since I first tested the car, but we now feel confident that we’ve got the best possible package in place with Fortec to go and fight for the championship. We learned a lot in F4 last year and I’m very, very excited to build on that in 2022. I feel that GB3 is exactly the right place for me to be this year and I can’t wait to get started!”

Previously known as British Formula 3, the recently rebranded GB3 Championship will enter a new era in 2022 with the advent of an updated car and engine package. The new specification will see faster lap times while improving driver protection thanks to the incorporation of the halo cockpit safety device. 

MORE: GB3 – The car (Tatuus MSV-022 GB3)

Interest in the championship is currently running high, with nine teams and 16 drivers already announced with well over two months to go until the start of the season. 

Alongside Granfors, sophomore GB3 driver Mikkel Grundtvig (Denmark) has been confirmed in the Fortec Motorsport camp so far.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Joel back for another year with us at Fortec Motorsport,” says team manager Oliver Dutton. “He was a great asset last season and instantly on the pace again in testing this winter. His driving style is very well suited to the GB3 car. I am convinced that we can mount a serious challenge at the front this year and we look forward to another successful season together.” 

The 2022 GB3 calendar spans eight championship meetings, with seven in the UK and one at Belgium’s famed Spa-Francorchamps. Each round features three races.

The season begins at Oulton Park on 16-18 April.

GB3 Championship – Partnered by the BRDC

16-18 April: Oulton Park
7-8 May: Silverstone GP
28-29 May: Donington Park
25-26 June: Snetterton
23-24 July: Spa-Francorchamps
30-31 July: Silverstone GP
10-11 September: Brands Hatch
15-16 October: Donington Park

For more information: www.gb-3.net.

– Swede instantly on the pace at Snetterton
–Smooth sailing across two days in the wet and dry

Joel Granfors has completed his first test in Britain’s GB3 Championship, racking up two trouble-free days around Snetterton and proving immediately on the pace.

The test took place in mixed conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, featuring both dry and wet running. Granfors slotted in at Fortec Motorsports – his regular team from the 2021 British Formula 4 campaign – on the opening day, before stepping across to Chris Dittmann Racing for day two.

The Swedish 16-year-old swiftly got up to speed aboard the 250-bhp Tatuus car, leading the way within the respective team on both days of running.

“It’s been a very positive first test, and a great first experience of GB3,” says Joel Granfors. “The biggest step from F4 is in the downforce. You can carry a lot more speed into the corners in this car, but I have to say I felt very much at home from the go. It’s really been a smooth overall experience. 

“I enjoyed working with both Fortec and Chris Dittmann Racing and the pace has been encouraging. These two days have certainly made me hungry for more and I hope to be back in the car soon!”

Previously known as British Formula 3, the GB3 Championship marks the top level of national UK single-seater racing, historically proving an important stepping stone for numerous world-class drivers in the early stages of their careers. 

Joel Granfors will continue to evaluate his options for the 2022 motor racing season across the coming weeks.

For more information: www.gb-3.net.

– Swede to try out top tier UK single-seater next week
– F4 race winner slots in with frontrunning teams for two-day test

Joel Granfors will conduct his first GB3 Championship test next week at Snetterton, driving for two different teams across two days of running in the UK’s top-level single-seater series.
 
16-year-old Granfors undertakes the test as he continues to evaluate options for the 2022 motor racing season, having finished fourth overall in the competitive F4 British Championship in 2021 with one win and eight podiums to his tally.
 
The test will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Granfors set to drive for Fortec Motorsport – the team with which he contested the 2021 Formula 4 campaign – on the opening day. The Swede will then step across to Chris Dittmann Racing, which finished second in the 2021 GB3 Championship with Ayrton Simmons, on Wednesday. 
 
“I’m thrilled to make my GB3 test debut next week at Snetterton,” says Joel Granfors. “It’s the natural step from Formula 4 and consequently one of the series we’re looking at closely for 2022. This first test will be about simply getting to know the car, and especially the downforce which will be quite a level above anything I’ve driven before. I’m excited to work with the familiar faces at Fortec, and with Chris Dittmann Racing, across these two days.”
 
Previously known as British Formula 3, the GB3 Championship was rebranded during this year and features a Tatuus chassis, Pirelli tyres, advanced aerodynamics and a two-litre, four-cylinder normally aspirated Mountune engine generating approximately 250 bhp.

For more information: www.gb-3.net.

– Swede clings on to position despite sitting out last race of the year
– Debut international campaign includes one win and eight podium finishes

Joel Granfors ends his first season of international single-seater competition taking fourth place in the final F4 British Championship standings, bringing down the curtain on a year of valuable learning and high promise.

Granfors maintained his position in the standings across an anticlimactic final round at the Brands Hatch GP circuit, where the Swede showcased some serious potential but was frustratingly forced to sit out the last race of the year.
 
Granfors opened proceedings at the ex-F1 venue in strong style by going second quickest in both of Friday’s free practice sessions, and underlined his inherent pace by lapping just 0.011s off pole position in qualifying – despite recording only a single representative lap amid traffic struggles and untimely red-flag stoppages.
 
After coming home a solid fourth in Race 1 of the triple-header meeting, however, Granfors was involved in an unfortunate three-car incident on the opening lap of Race 2, ripping the front left suspension off his Fortec machine and pitching him into instant retirement.
 
Post-race inspection later exposed terminal damage to the car’s monocoque, requiring withdrawal as per safety protocol. Granfors, consequently, was forced to sit out the last remaining race of the weekend, and of the 2021 campaign. 
 
“It was obviously a shame to not be able to complete the weekend, and it was all very unfortunate as the clash itself was actually not that severe,” says Joel Granfors. “However, it damaged the tub and we had to withdraw the car. It was clearly not the way we wanted to end the season, but there were plenty of positives this weekend in terms of our raw pace, so I think we can keep our heads high.”

After winning the 2020 Aquila Synergy Cup and Formula Nordic championships in his native Sweden, Granfors has set out on his first international adventure this season in British F4, scoring one win, eight podiums and setting four fastest laps across a 30-race campaign. 
 
He has also established a new track record at Thruxton, and wounds up 91 points behind champion Matthew Rees in the final standings.
 
“All in all, it has been a good year, and I have learned a lot,” Joel Granfors sums up. “There have been ups and downs, but I think that’s normal and part of the learning curve. This is the first time I’ve worked with a team other than my family’s, I’ve moved to another country, and I’ve begun to understand so much about the sport. I want to say a big thank you to all the guys at Fortec for having me this year – hopefully it’s the start of much more in my career.”
 
Granfors ends the season as the top Fortec driver, with the Daventry-based squad taking second place in the teams’ classification. 
 
“Joel has shown extreme professionalism and maturity in his first season in the British F4 championship,” says Fortec team manager Oliver Dutton. “From calculated overtakes to consistent race pace, Joel has shown everyone in the paddock he is a force to be reckoned with. I’m excited to see what comes next for Joel and I know his sheer determination and devotion will see him have a successful future in motorsport.”
 
As the curtain drops on the British F4 campaign, the focus is now shifting towards 2022 and the next step in Joel Granfors’ career. Further information will be provided in due course.

RESULTS

F4 British Championship
Rd. 10 | Brands Hatch GP

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

F4 British Championship
After 10/10 rounds

1: Matthew Rees (GBR), 331 p.
2: Matias Zagazeta (PER), 306 p.
3: McKenzy Cresswell (GBR), 305 p.
4: Joel Granfors (SWE), 240 p.
5: James Hedley (GBR), 226 p.

– Swede in with outside title chance in season finale
– Iconic Brands Hatch GP circuit brings down curtain on 2021 campaign

Joel Granfors is taking a nothing-to-lose mentality into the final round of the 2021 F4 British Championship, as the Swede bids to break into the top three in the final standings – while retaining an outside title chance.
 
As Britain’s Ford-powered Formula 4 series heads to the spectacular Brands Hatch GP circuit this weekend for the final play of 2021, Granfors is part of the leading plot.

Along with British duo Matthew Rees and McKenzy Cresswell, as well as Peru’s Matias Zagazeta, Fortec racer Granfors is among four drivers still in mathematical championship contention.

With a maximum 84 points remaining up for grabs, however, Granfors practically needs a miracle to overcome his 68-point deficit to leader Rees.

More realistically, the Swede – currently in fourth – will be aiming to break into the top three, requiring him to bridge a much more viable 21-point gap to third-placed Cresswell across the last three races of the year.

“I’m in a pretty simple position this weekend: I’ve got nothing to lose,” says Joel Granfors. “Top three in the championship would be fantastic, and it’s a clear aim for the weekend. If we do well, it’s definitely possible. If we don’t, at least we haven’t lost anything. All I can do is go out there and drive as fast as I can, which is quite a nice place to be in actually.”

Granfors wrapped up the previous round at Donington Park with his eighth podium of the season, and is keen to bow out of his first campaign in international single-seaters on a high at the daunting Brands Hatch GP loop.

Brands Hatch GP: track info

“We raced at Brands Hatch earlier in the year, but that was around the short Indy layout which has very little in common with the GP version we’ll be on this weekend,” Granfors concludes. “The GP loop is very rarely used and I’ve only driven there briefly once, in the rain. It’s a proper old-school track, extremely fast and flowing with no run-off areas. I am buzzing to race there this weekend and of course I want to end the season on the highest possible note.”

The tenth and last round of the 2021 F4 British Championship begins on Friday with a brace of free practice sessions. Saturday’s schedule includes qualifying and the first pair of races, before the season draws to a close on Sunday with the concluding Race 3. 

Like always, live timing, radio commentary and results are available throughout the meeting via links from www.joelgranfors.com.

Guide: How British F4 works

– Swede picks up eighth podium of the year
– Entertaining racing in beautiful autumn conditions

Joel Granfors scored his eighth podium of the F4 British Championship campaign on an entertaining penultimate weekend of racing at Donington Park.

In ideal late-season conditions, and with plenty of fans flocking to the Leicestershire track, the F4 contingent produced a particularly thrilling last race of the triple-header meeting – with Granfors in the middle of the action.

Starting fourth, the Swedish Fortec driver featured in a frenetic scrap over position behind breakaway leader Matthew Rees, eventually pulling through in a number of intense wheel-to-wheel battles to take third at the chequered flag.

In arguably one of the most entertaining races of the season, Granfors thus ended the weekend on a high after a brace of P8 finishes in the preceding two heats.

“The last race was great fun to drive, and I’ve understood that people seemed to enjoy it from the outside too,” says Joel Granfors. “It was a cool race with lots going on, good and mostly fair battles all around. I was in a pack with four or five cars covered by a second at times. We’ve improved our pace across the weekend and it’s great to end it like this with a podium, which everyone deserves after a lot of hard work.”

Granfors remains fourth in the championship standings, now sitting 21 points adrift of third-placed McKenzy Cresswell heading into the finale at Brands Hatch on 22-24 October. 

RESULTS

F4 British Championship
Rd. 9 | Donington Park

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

F4 British Championship
After 9/10 rounds

1: Matthew Rees (GBR), 296 p.
2: Matias Zagazeta (PER), 284 p.
3: McKenzy Cresswell (GBR), 249 p.
4: Joel Granfors (SWE), 228 p.
5: James Hedley (GBR), 210 p.

View full standings