News

Esteemed British specialist magazine Motorsport News has nominated Linus for its 2024 National Racing Driver of the Year award.

Hand-picked to a shortlist of ten drivers, Linus goes up against the likes of BTCC champion Jake Hill, with the winner decided by vote here: https://www.fastcar.co.uk/motorsportnews/national-racing-driver-of-the-year-motorsport-news-awards/

Voting closes on November 29.

Nominated for his title-winning campaign in the GB4 Championship, Linus is one of just two non-British drivers on the shortlist alongside GB3 champion Louis Sharp (New Zealand).

They say racing is a team sport – and it couldn’t be more true. On his path to being crowned GB4 champion last weekend at Brands Hatch, Linus Granfors has been backed by Fortec Motorsport in a mutual – and ultimately successful – quest for speed. We hear from team manager Ollie Dutton as he shares his thoughts on a gold-clad campaign…

Q: What has it been like working with Linus this year?
 
OD: It’s been a pleasure working with Linus. He’s easy to be around and he came with strong knowledge of how he likes the car. His feedback is great, which makes it easier to fine-tune the car’s performance. 
 
Q: What defines him as a racing driver?
 
OD: His ability to learn quickly and adapt to different situations. Most circuits we went to, he’d never been to them before, so he had to learn a lot with limited running. 
 
Q: ⁠What’s been the key to winning the championship this year?
 
OD: Consistency! DNFs destroy championships, especially with the GB4 point system. Finishing every race and building on the points throughout the season is key. Taking calculated risks is essential in winning a championship, which is exactly what Linus did throughout the season, and especially in the latter part of it.

Granfors and Dutton take to the podium at last weekend’s season-finale

A jubilant team greets their newly-crowned champion

Q: What’s your standout moment from the past season?

OD: I think setting the lap record first time in the car and first time driving around Silverstone set the intentions for the season. That was a letter of intent if you like; it was a proper demonstration of capability. Winning races always stand out, of course, but I think that first day out in the car was such a motivator for everyone.

Q: What about the group working closest to Linus?

OD: Having his family around him has worked well with Linus. His brother’s knowledge of the circuits has helped him with limited testing. His father’s engineering experience of how Linus has liked the car set-up in the past has been important given the lack of track time.

His mechanic, Sam, was focussed on providing a car that would be reliable to help push for the championship. We’ve had virtually zero technical issues all season and Sam is a big part of that.

Master mechanic Sam enjoys a sip of success

Celebrations after a truly memorable season

Q: What does this title mean to you as a team?
 
OD: Success is why we all do it. It’s why the mechanics take apart gearboxes Monday morning after a race and prepare the cars to the highest standards. It keeps the moral up of the team and keeps us pushing for more strong results.
 
Q: You’ve seen a lot of very fast drivers over the years, including a few now in Formula 1. What do you think Linus can achieve moving forward?
 
OD: I feel Linus can achieve anything he puts his mind to. The talent is there! The world is in his hands.

Join in as Linus is crowned 2024 GB4 champion at Brands Hatch, clinching his third single-seater title in four years.

• Fortec driver becomes first non-Brit to win GB4 title
• Ends on a high with podium triple at Brands Hatch

Linus Granfors has clinched the 2024 GB4 Championship title, sealing the deal at this weekend’s season-finale at Brands Hatch.
 
The Swede becomes the first non-British driver to win the UK junior single-seater series, going out on a high with a trio of podiums in the final round of the campaign at the iconic Brands Hatch GP loop.
 
17-year-old Granfors led the standings heading into the finale, and clinched the title with a race to spare courtesy of a P2 finish in Race 2 of the triple-header meeting in Kent.
 
“It’s a great feeling to win the championship, of course,” says Linus Granfors. “That was the very clear target going into the weekend, and that’s what we achieved. This is the most significant success yet in my career and I really want to thank my team, Fortec Motorsport, for giving me a quick car all year. Now I’ll celebrate with my family tonight before going back to Sweden tomorrow.”

Granfors was on imperious form throughout the Brands Hatch finale, setting a new qualifying lap record on his way to double pole positions. The Swede initially maintained his lead in Race 1, but went off at the end of the opening lap and slipped to fourth. He later battled back to finish third.
 
Even though he missed out on a potential victory, Granfors’ Race 1 effort still laid the foundations for his subsequent sealing of the title in Race 2 on Sunday, where second place was more than enough to put it beyond reach for the opposition.
 
Granfors later completed a weekend podium clean-sweep in the reverse-grid Race 3, where he powered through from 11th on the grid to finish third.
 
With a season tally of 467 points, Granfors wins the GB4 title and is the only non-British driver in the top six of the final standings. The outcome marks the Swede’s third career single-seater title in four years, following on from previous championship triumphs in Scandinavia’s Aquila Formula 1000 (2021) and Formula Nordic (2023) series.
 
“It’s been a great season,” Linus Granfors concludes. “It’s been a lot to learn; all new circuits, a new car, a new language in engineering, but it’s gelled from session one. We started out with a new lap record at Silverstone in pre-season testing, and then we’ve just kept going. I’ve felt really confident with the car and we’ve done our homework every weekend.
 
“It’s a season in which I’ve developed a lot, and winning the title is the ultimate reward for everyone involved.”
 
Linus Granfors’ 2024 GB4 campaign has featured six victories (the most of anyone), a further four podiums, and winning the George Russell Pole Position Cup courtesy of an unrivalled six pole positions. Granfors’ season qualifying average is a staggering 2,5.
 
As a reward for his championship success, Granfors is awarded a £50,000 career contribution prize towards either a British Formula 4 or GB3 Championship campaign in 2025.

RESULTS

GB4 Championship
Rd. 7 – Brands Hatch (GBR)

Race 1
1: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 13 laps
2: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), +0.177s
3: Linus Granfors (SWE), +6.629s

Race 2
1: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), 13 laps
2: Linus Granfors (SWE), +7.727s
3: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), +9.529s

Race 3
1: Finn Harrison (GBR), 10 laps
2: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), +3.518s
3: Linus Granfors (SWE), +3.775s

Complete results

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

GB4 Championship
After 7/7 rounds

1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 467 p.
2: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), 422 p.
3: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 421 p.
4: Branden Templeton (GBR), 317 p.
5: Lukas Blakeley (GBR), 306 p.

Complete standings

Linus has clinched the 2024 GB4 Championship title with one race to spare at the Brands Hatch season-finale. He becomes the first-ever non-British GB4 champion, taking his third single-seater title in four years after previous victories in Aquila Formula 1000 (2021) and Formula Nordic (2023).

More to follow.

• Swedish rookie holds championship lead ahead of season finale
• Title chase comes down to daunting Brands Hatch GP loop 

Points leader Linus Granfors is vying to come out on top in a three-way fight for the GB4 Championship crown this weekend as the British single-seater series reaches a dramatic title climax.

Entering the seventh and last round of the season, the championship draws to a close at Brands Hatch, where the spectacular GP loop is setting the undulating stage for a thrilling finale on Saturday and Sunday.

“I’m ready! I feel calm and excited in equal measure,” says Linus Granfors. “I’ve been in this situation before in my career. I’ll just take it one session at a time, do my best, and hopefully that’s enough.”

With six wins so far in 2024, Granfors has enjoyed a strong first season of international single-seater racing, leading the GB4 standings for most of the campaign.

Going into the finale, the 17-year-old Fortec driver – who has previously won the Aquila Formula 1000 and Formula Nordic titles in Scandinavia – is being chased by two British rivals also remaining in championship contention: Alisha Palmowski and Harry Burgoyne.

Granfors leads the charts on 391 points, 35 ahead of Palmowski and 37 clear of Burgoyne. While hoping to become the first-ever Swedish (and non-British) driver to clinch the GB4 title, Granfors knows it’s far from a foregone conclusion – with over 90 points still up for grabs.   

“It’s going to be exciting, I’m sure, but I like my situation best,” Linus Granfors concludes. “I don’t need to take as much risk as the others, and I’m feeling happy with the car. I won at Donington Park last time out and I’m confident we’ve got the pace in both wet and dry conditions.”

The GB4 field will convene on the Brands Hatch GP loop tomorrow (Wednesday) for a day of collective testing. The official part of the season-finale then begins on Saturday with qualifying and the first of three scheduled races. Races two and three take place on Sunday.

All GB4 races are live-streamed on the official series website as well as YouTube and social media channels.

TIME TABLE

GB4 Championship
Rd. 7 – Brands Hatch (GBR)

All times local (GMT+1)

Saturday 28 September
Qualifying: 13.20-13.35
Race 1: 17.00 (18 minutes)

Sunday 29 September
Race 2: 10.25 (18 minutes)
Race 3: 17.35 (18 minutes)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

GB4 Championship
After 6/7 rounds

1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 391 p.
2: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), 356 p.
3: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 354 p.
4: Branden Templeton (GBR), 267 p.
5: Callum Baxter (CAN), 249 p.

Complete standings

GB4 Championship leader Linus Granfors went behind the scenes at the McLaren Technology Centre on Monday (9 September), with the rising Swedish star enjoying an up-close look at one of F1’s most revered facilities. 

Granfors received the tour courtesy of long-time Pole Position Cup award provider John Cavill, who elected to provide the experience to the driver leading the championship standings at the midway point of the season (following round 11 at Snetterton in July). 

The experience started with a look at the team’s incredible heritage on the famous Boulevard, with numerous race-winning F1 machines mixed with other cars from McLaren’s range including the legendary F1 supercar plus the contemporary Artura and 750S models. 

After a thorough grounding of how Bruce McLaren established the team in the early 1960s, Granfors was brought fully up to-date with a view of the McLaren Shadow Esports facility. An in depth look at the real world followed during a tour of the Racing department, including a close-up look at the rebuilding process of Ayrton Senna’s final race-winning MP4/8 machine from 1993. 

Granfors was also given a look at the Mission Control facility, where vital strategy decisions are made during an F1 race weekend. 

Trips to the wind tunnel, the team’s extensive trophy collection and a bird’s eye view of the impressive McLaren Automotive facility followed, providing career inspiration for the six-time GB4 race winner. 

“It’s been really good to see all the cars and how they’re built” Granfors said. “I’ve had a brilliant time, thanks so much to McLaren and John for the opportunity.

“To see the Senna car being rebuilt in the race bay was amazing, I didn’t expect to see that! It’s such a famous car, so to stand next to it and have a look at how it is built was very special. 

“I’ve seen the McLaren Technology Centre in lots of videos before, but to actually come here was amazing. It’s the kind of place I hope to spend a lot more time in later in my career.”

• Swede celebrates pivotal moment in championship quest
• Fortec driver strengthens title grip in penultimate round of the season

Linus Granfors bagged an important success in his quest for the GB4 Championship title with a wet-weather victory at Donington Park in the penultimate round of the season.
 
Granfors entered this weekend’s races with a 15-point lead in the British single-seater series, and kept his cool in a crucial part of the championship to more than double his advantage at the head of the standings with just one round to go.
 
The 17-year-old Swede delivered his sixth victory of the season with a strong drive in the wet in the second race of the triple-header weekend.
 
“It’s been a good, and important, weekend here at Donington,” says Linus Granfors. “The big aim was to extend our lead in the championship, and that’s what we did. I’m especially pleased to win the second race in the wet. That hasn’t been our strength so far, but we’ve sorted it now and that makes me really confident heading into the finale in a few weeks’ time, regardless of the weather.”
 
Granfors opened the weekend at Donington Park with a P4 finish in Race 1, fighting back through the pack after dropping several places at the start. Via his win in Race 2, the Fortec racer then concluded the weekend with a P6 finish in the reversed-grid Race 3, coming through from the back of the pack.
 
“Our priority now of course is the title, so I didn’t want to take any huge risks today,” Linus Granfors concludes. “I think we achieved what we wanted here and took the points we should. I’m happy with the weekend. We’re in a better position now than before we came here, but I’m not taking anything for granted. The finale will be really tough and we need to make sure we leave nothing down to chance there.”
 
Following this weekend’s races, Granfors extends his lead from 15 to 35 points in the overall standings. The GB4 Championship finale takes place at the Brands Hatch GP circuit on the final weekend of September.

RESULTS

GB4 Championship
Rd. 6 – Donington Park (GBR)

Race 1
1: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), 12 laps
2: Finn Harrison (GBR), +5.379s
3: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), +11.954s
4: Linus Granfors (SWE), +12.542s

Race 2
1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 11 laps
2: Finn Harrison (GBR), +1.233s
3: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), +3.676s

Race 3
1: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 12 laps
2: Lucas Blakeley (GBR), +0.491s
3: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), +10.482s
–
6: Linus Granfors (SWE), +16.291s

Complete results

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

GB4 Championship
After 6/7 rounds

1: Linus Granfors (SWE), 391 p.
2: Alisha Palmowski (GBR), 356 p.
3: Harry Burgoyne (GBR), 354 p.
4: Branden Templeton (GBR), 267 p.
5: Callum Baxter (CAN), 249 p.

Complete standings

• Championship race heats up with two rounds to go
• Fortec racer heads the standings, but pursuers are close

Points leader Linus Granfors heads into a pivotal weekend in his quest for the GB4 Championship title as the British single-seater series heads to Donington Park for the penultimate round of the season.
 
Granfors has made an instant impression in his first year of racing outside his native Sweden, taking five wins so far – the most of any driver – to spearhead the GB4 standings ahead of Britain’s Harry Burgoyne. 
 
With only two more rounds to go, Granfors is in pole position in the title chase – but it’s close. His advantage currently sits at 15 points, which equals just a seventh-place finish in one single race.
 
Expect the drama to intensify, therefore, as GB4 heads to Donington Park for a second time this season. 17-year-old Granfors arrives at the Derbyshire circuit with fond memories, having won from pole position at the venue earlier this year.
 
“I feel good about returning to Donington, which is a track I like and where I did well back in the May races,” says Linus Granfors. “It’s just two more weekends to go and the stakes are getting higher, and I like it. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in several title fights in my career already and I’ve learned to manage it. I feel relaxed. It’s fun to be back racing!”
 
Opening proceedings at Donington Park are a pair of test days on Thursday and Friday. As always in GB4, three races are set to be staged, the first taking place on Saturday and the remaining two on Sunday.
 
All GB4 races are live-streamed on the official series website as well as YouTube and social media channels.

TIME TABLE

GB4 Championship
Rd. 6 – Donington Park (GBR)

All times local (GMT+1)

Saturday 7 September
Qualifying: 13.30-13.45
Race 1: 17.55 (18 minutes)

Sunday 8 September
Race 2: 10.10 (18 minutes)
Race 3: 17.10 (18 minutes)

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.

Complete standings