- Swede takes lights-to-flag victory at fabled Grand Prix track
- Storms to double pole positions with new qualifying record
Linus Granfors is back on top of the GB4 Championship standings after powering to his fifth win of the season this weekend at Silverstone.
A two-time winner at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in GB4’s previous visit to the venue back in April, Granfors continued to set the pace at the famous track once again – racking up another pair of podiums.
The 16-year-old Swede scored a “grand chelem” win in the first race of the triple-header meeting, taking a lights-to-flag victory and setting the fastest lap. In Race 2, Granfors then again started on pole position, but had to make do with second place after picking up significant damage to his Fortec car in a first-lap clash with a fellow competitor (who was subsequently penalised for the incident).
“It’s been a really good weekend, where we achieved the objective of taking back the championship lead,” says Linus Granfors. “I got a good start in Race 1 and managed to control it from the front. It’s a great feeling to win at Silverstone again.
“Obviously it’s a little bit of a shame what happened in Race 2 with contact on that opening lap. Still, I’m actually really pleased with my drive in that one. The car picked up a lot of damage to the right rear suspension and was sliding massively in all the left-hand corners. To be honest, I’m surprised I managed to cling on and finish second, so I’ll take that.”
Granfors was on blistering pace throughout the weekend, topping all five test sessions leading into qualifying. Once there, he raised the bar even higher, dipping below the previous qualifying lap record not just once, but twice, to seal double pole positions for the opening two races as previously described.
His pace-setting qualifying effort also placed Granfors at the back of the field for the concluding Race 3, which features a fully-reversed grid. The Swede, a rookie on the British motorsport scene this season, finished the race in eighth place.
After briefly surrendering the championship lead two weeks ago at Snetterton, the Silverstone outcome has now re-established Granfors at the top of the GB4 standings, 15 points clear of nearest pursuer Harry Burgoyne (GBR).
The GB4 Championship now heads into a summer break, with racing resuming at Donington Park on September 7-8 for the penultimate round of the season.
RESULTS
GB4 Championship
Rd. 5 – Silverstone (GBR)
Race 1
1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 9 laps
2: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), +0.523s
3: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), +4.729s
Race 2
1: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), 9 laps
2: Linus Granfors (SWE), +15.449s
3: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), +15.603s
Race 3
1: Finn Harrison (GBR), 7 laps
2: Jack Taylor (AUS), +4.018s
3: Branden Templeton (GBR), +4.703s
–
8: Linus Granfors (SWE), +9.598s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
GB4 Championship
After 5/7 rounds
1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 321 p.
2: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 306 p.
3: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), 290 p.
4: Branden Templeton (GBR), 232 p.
5: Callum Baxter (CAN), 207 p.