Granfors storms to victory in Silverstone stunner

Fortec Motorsport’s Linus Granfors claimed his second GB4 victory of the season after a scintillating opening contest of the weekend on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit.

The 15-year-old Swede started second, but eventually claimed the lead after a thrilling battle with pole sitter Finn Harrison. After going wheel to wheel for several corners, he eventually pulled away to take his second successive victory, having won the Oulton Park finale last time out. 

Qualifying 
Elite Motorsport’s Finn Harrison left it late to usurp Granfors in a damp qualifying session this morning. Granfors had dominated testing and looked set to take pole, at one stage holding a 1.5 second margin to the rest of the pack. But on his last lap, Harrison aced two sectors to claim pole by 0.148s, with Granfors settling for second ahead of Arden’s Leon Wilson, with the top three separated by just 0.236s. 

Harrison’s teammate Alisha Palmowski was fourth quickest ahead of KMR Sport’s Brandon McCaughan and championship leader Harry Burgoyne. Harrison also topped the second quickest time sheets, handing him pole for race two, this time ahead of Wilson with Granfors third. Palmowski, Burgoyne and privateer Marcus Luzio completed the top-six for the race two grid. 
 

Race one
GB4 has frequently delivered thrilling action at Silverstone, but the opening race of the weekend was perhaps the best yet. There was side by side drama right from the off, as pole sitter Harrison led the early stages but was pursued closely by Granfors.

The Swede challenged for the lead, but Harrison wouldn’t let him by without a fight, the pair thus going wheel to wheel for several corners. That brought the chasing pack into play, with Palmowski fighting up to third and bringing Burgoyne and Luzio, who started 11th on the race one grid, into the mix too.

Granfors eventually found his way past, leaving Harrison to fend off Palmowski, who moved into second at the expense of her teammate on lap five. By this time Granfors had marched into the distance, but all eyes were on the squabble for the podium, as Harrison looked to fight back.

Palmowski eventually edged clear to take second, but Luzio was showing supreme pace, and squeezed past Harrison on the penultimate lap, after a battle that again lasted for several corners. He thus became the first privateer to claim a GB4 podium as a result. Despite his starring roles in the on track battles, Harrison had to settle for fourth ahead of KMR trio Burgoyne, McCaughan and Grant, who ran line astern in battle to the end. 

Race one winner Granfors said: "It was a good race, a lot of fighting to pass Harrison, but then I got a little bit of a gap and then I saw that the other Elite had passed him as well. Then I just started to push and try to set pole laps. "The first time into Maggotts and Becketts, I then got a bad exit on to the straight and he [Harrison] got back past me again. I tried to do it the same again and then I got a better exit and I could pass him. "It was a lot of fun, when I saw the other Elite start to catch up, I was just trying to not get passed!”
 

GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Silverstone qualifying top-six:
1.    Finn Harrison, Elite Motorsport, 2m16.714s
2.    Linus Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, +0.148s
3.    Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport, +0.236s
4.    Alisha Palmowski, Elite Motorsport, +0.889s
5.    Brandon McCaughan, KMR Sport, +1.668s
6.    Harry Burgoyne, KMR Sport, +1.889s

Click here for full result.

GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Silverstone race one top-six:
1.    Linus Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, 9 laps
2.    Alisha Palmowski, Elite Motorsport, +7.017s
3.    Marcus Luzio, Luzio.com, +10.858s
4.    Finn Harrison, Elite Motorsport, +12.074s
5.    Harry Burgoyne, KMR Sport, +14.788s
6.    Brandon McCaughan, KMR Sport, +15.069s

Click here for full result. 

GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, driver's standings after race four of 21:
1. Harry Burgoyne, KMR Sport, 101pts
2. Linus Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, 99pts
3. Alisha Palmowski, Elite Motorsport, 83pts
4. Brandon McCaughan, KMR Sport, 76pts
5. Branden Templeton, Fox Motorsport, 70pts
6. Callum Baxter, Graham Brunton Racing, 63pts

Click here for full standings

GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, team's standings after race four of 21:
1. KMR Sport, 198pts
2. Fortec Motorsport, 146pts
3. Fox Motorsport, 108pts
4. Elite Motorsport, 104pts
5. Graham Brunton Racing, 98pts
6. Luzio.com, 53pts

Click here for full standings

For more championship information, visit www.gb-4.net