Press Release

• 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

• 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.