Press Release

– Swede masters treacherous conditions in Thruxton season-opener
– Fortec racer holds second overall in early standings

Joel Granfors enjoyed a highly promising start to life in international single-seater racing as he powered to a double podium on debut in the F4 British Championship.

15-year-old Granfors overcame difficult conditions on a wet/dry weekend at Thruxton, immediately installing himself in second place in the championship standings after the opening round of the season.   

Finishing second, second and eighth in the three races of the meeting – each time battling back from lower grid slots following a rain-hit qualifying session – the Swedish newcomer proved an instant adapter on the British isles.

“It’s been a great first round of the season,” says Joel Granfors. “I really wasn’t expecting to go away from here sitting second in the standings, especially having only done half a day in the wet in pre-season testing. The pace is definitely there and that gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year. I have to thank my team for helping to prepare me so well for this challenge – they’ve been great.”

Alongside his own personal success, Granfors also contributed to an historic moment for Fortec Motorsport as the season got underway, following team-mate James Hedley across the line in a 1-2 finish in both of the first two races of the weekend to score the Daventry squad’s first – and second – ever British F4 double win.

Hedley – who returns to British F4 this season after already winning four races in 2020 – duly leads the championship, 21 points clear of the debuting Granfors.

“Joel’s performance this weekend was fantastic,” says Fortec Motorsport team boss Oliver Dutton. “To score a double podium in his first couple of races in British F4 was great to see. Joel was unfortunate to get tagged in the last race, but he bounced back from that too.

“His overtakes in the first races were very calculated and, I have to say, executed to perfection. It was nice to see all our preparation in the gym and sim in practice and I’m very proud of how far Joel has come already.”

The F4 British Championship returns on June 12-13 for round two of the season, staged at Snetterton.

RESULTS

F4 British Championship
Rd. 1 | Thruxton

Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3
 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
After 1/10 rounds

1: James Hedley (GBR), 55 p.
2: Joel Granfors (SWE), 34 p.
3: Joseph Loake (GBR), 25 p.
4: McKenzy Cresswell (GBR), 22 p.
5: Zak Taylor (GBR), 20 p.

View full standings

– Swedish champion to take on global competition
– Rain likely to strike in opening round of season

After months of waiting, Joel Granfors finally sits on the eve of his international single-seater debut as the Swedish rookie prepares for round one of the F4 British Championship at Thruxton this weekend.

15-year-old Granfors is the reigning champion of Sweden’s Formula Nordic and Aquila Synergy Cup series, and now embarks on a journey abroad as he chases his motorsport dream.

Granfors has found his new home in the UK’s Ford-powered Formula 4 championship, where he is racing for reigning title-holders Fortec Motorsport alongside world karting champion Oliver Gray and sophomore driver James Hedley.

The 2021 F4 British Championship features an international grid of 17 drivers from eight different countries, representing a total of six teams. 

ENTRY LIST: 2021 F4 British Championship

“I’m extremely excited ahead of my first weekend of international single-seater racing,” says Joel Granfors. “We have been preparing for this moment for months, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank Fortec Motorsport for how well they have implemented me into the team.”

With pre-season testing now completed, attention shifts to racing, with the high-speed Thruxton Circuit set to stage the first round of the campaign this weekend.

Boasting average speeds of nearly 190 km/h for the F4 cars, the Hampshire circuit is seriously fast, making for a fitting start to the season. 

“Testing has gone well and we seem to be right on the pace, as indicated by the practice sessions at Thruxton last month where I wound up just one hundredth of a second off P1,” explains Joel Granfors. “With that in mind, I’m confident that we can have a competitive weekend, and absolutely certain of some very close and thrilling races.”

That said, indications are strong that this could be a weekend of many surprises and added challenges – especially for a rookie driver. The weather forecast predicts heavy rain, and on top of that, the field will head straight into qualifying with official practice already staged back in April due to reasons concerning the pandemic. 

“It will be a special kind of weekend, for sure,” admits Granfors. “I haven’t sat in the car in a month now, and we’ll be going straight into qualy, probably in the rain. I have done half a day on old tyres in the wet at Snetterton, so basically nothing. It will be a real big challenge, but I’m up for it and will make sure to learn as much as possible along the way.”

British F4 is carried live and free-to-air on ITV4 in the UK alongside the BTCC. Streaming will not be available in other countries, but live timing links and reports will be posted at www.joelgranfors.com. 

TIME TABLE – LOCAL TIME (UK)

F4 British Championship
Rd. 1 | Thruxton

Saturday 8 May
Qualifying: 10.40-11.00
Race 1: 15.25-15.45

Sunday 9 May
Race 2: 12.20-12.40
Race 3: 16.30-16.50

British F4 – how it works

The 2021 season features ten championship rounds, each comprising three races. The grids are formed in qualifying at the start of each weekend by using the below format:

Race 1: drivers’ fastest qualifying lap
Race 2: full reversed grid based on drivers’ fastest qualifying lap 
Race 3: drivers’ second-fastest qualifying lap    

For Race 2, that means the fastest driver in qualifying will start at the back, and the slowest at the front. This initiative is in place to educate drivers in defensive and attacking driving techniques. 

There are fewer points on offer in Race 2 (15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1) than in Race 1 and Race 3 (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1). 

Additionally, drivers are competing for the Motul Fastest Lap Award, which carries a bonus point for fastest lap in each race.

www.fiaformula4.com

Joel Granfors continues to prepare for his imminent F4 British Championship debut, testing at a host of series venues across the past couple of weeks with Fortec Motorsport. 

Testing has taken place at Donington Park, Snetterton, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Thruxton, with Joel and the team finding good pace while gradually improving car set-up and engineering direction.

Meanwhile, Joel has now moved to the UK in order to be closer to his team on a full-time basis.

“It’s been going well so far,” says Joel. “I’m getting to grips with the car and the circuits. Everything is pointing in the right direction, but of course there are still things to work on. We’ve got a few more days of testing coming up and I hope we’ll continue to make positive steps then.”

The F4 British Championship gets underway at the high-speed Thruxton circuit, not far from Southampton, on May 8-9. 

– Fortec sign highly rated Swedish youngster for 2021 British F4 season
– Granfors joins reigning champions after dominant brace of title wins out in Scandinavia last year
– Daventry-based team excited to continue active role in developing talent, looking ahead to new season with optimism

Joel Granfors has been unveiled as Fortec Motorsport’s first signing for the 2021 F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost season.

The 15-year-old from Sweden joins the Daventry-based outfit off the back of a stunning campaign in the Scandanvia-based Formula Nordic series.

Despite missing the opening three races of the season due to age restrictions, Granfors stamped his mark in fine style with a double victory and further podium at Karlskoga on debut and would notch up another six wins en route to the title.

Equally impressive was Granfors’ campaign in the Aquila Synergy Cup, with nine wins and a further brace of podium finishes enough to dominate the campaign and mark the Eskilstuna-based driver as a star of the future.

In Fortec, he joins a team energised after its maiden title in Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series courtesy of Luke Browning in 2020.

Joining British F4 also means Granfors will take advantage of the profile afforded to a BTCC support series – including live, free to air television coverage – and marks the first step on his journey up the FIA Single Seater ladder.

“I’m thrilled to make this announcement and to start my international career in British Formula 4,” said Granfors. “We have worked hard over the winter to make this happen, and I couldn’t be more excited. It is going to be all new for me this year, learning all the circuits and a brand new car, but I’m confident that Fortec Motorsport is exactly the right environment for me to be in.

“They have a long history of driver development, a proven track record in British F4 as the reigning champions and have really made me feel welcome from day one. I’m keen to see what we can achieve together and I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Fortec’s F4 Team Manager Oliver Dutton underlined his delight at securing Granfors for the 2020 season ahead and looks forward to playing an active role in his development.

“Everybody at Fortec Motorsport is really pleased to welcome Joel to the team,” said Dutton. “His track record speaks for itself; to go out and win two well-contested championships in Sweden in such a dominant fashion has really marked Joel’s card as ‘one to watch’ for the future.

“Our family team has a long history of developing future stars and accelerating their journey to the top of the sport, so we’re very excited to get started and help Joel emulate that success.

“It’s going to be a very competitive grid in British F4 – it always is – but Joel has all the raw ingredients he needs to announce himself, it’s just a case now of putting it all together.”

The 2021 British F4 season begins at Thruxton, Hampshire, on 08-09 May.