This weekend the GB3 championship arrived at the home of the BRDC, Silverstone. Ready for rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the championship, drivers took to one of the most famous tracks in the world.
Qualifying:
Joel Granfors turned heads at Silverstone by taking double pole position in his rookie GB3 season. Setting the top two fastest times, he starts races 1 and 2 at the front of the grid. He will be joined by Tom Lebbon for the first two races but will start at the back of the grid for race 3. Luke Browning who took double pole in the first race weekend and who is leading the championship, starts race 1 and 2 in P3.
Race one grid:
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, 1m53.086s
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport, +0.325s
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP, +0.437s
- Roberto Faria, Carlin, +0.528s
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport, +0.528s
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport, +0.587s
- Matthew Rees, JHR Developments, +0.611s
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport, +0.788s
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.841s
- Callum Voisin, Carlin, +0.852s
- Javier Sagrera, Carlin, +1.089s
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.097s
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport, 1.176s
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport, +1.410s
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP, +1.446s
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsport, +1.523s
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed, +1.683s
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport, +1.748s
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP, +1.998s
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport, +2.713s
Race two grid:
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, 1m53.121s
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport, +0.352s
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP, +0.560s
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport, +0.719s
- Roberto Faria, Carlin, +0.721s
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport, +0.724s
- Callum Voisin, Carlin, +0.984s
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.005s
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport, +1.025s
- Javier Sagrera, Carlin, +1.131s
- Matthew Rees, JHR Developments, +1.140s
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport, +1.325s
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport, +1.437s
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsport, +1.608s
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP, +1.656s
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport, +1.800s
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.816s
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed, +1.894s
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP, +2.159s
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport, 2.952s
Race three grid:
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsport
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing
- Javier Sagrera, Carlin
- Callum Voisin, Carlin
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport
- Matthew Rees, JHR Developments
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport
- Roberto Faria, Carlin
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport
Race One:
As the lights went out for the first time at Silverstone this weekend, Browning passed Lebbon to take P2 at Vale. The second lap saw Javier Sagrera making a bold move at Maggots, Becketts on Rees. When the pair arrived at Stowe, Rees tried to retaliate and get past the Carlin, but didn’t manage to make the move stick leaving Sagrera in P11.
Crossing the line on lap 5, Browning had set the fastest lap and had been chipping away at Grandfors lead. Rees picked up the first penalty on lap 8 with a 5-second penalty for track limits. On the final lap of the race Grandfors’ lead over Browning in P2 had come down to just 0.954s but as they crossed the finish line, Granfors won the first race of the weekend and took the top step of the podium.
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, 10 laps
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP, +0.721s
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport, +5.738s
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport, +8.800s
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport, +9.320s
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport, +11.069s
- Roberto Faria, Carlin, +11.829s
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +14.732s
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing, +14.982s
- Callum Voisin, Carlin, +17.229s
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport, +20.794s
- Matthew Rees, JHR Developments, +21.638s
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsport, +24.053s
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport, +25.193s
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport, +29.258s
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP, +36.757s
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed, +38.433s
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport, 38.802s
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP, +41.304s
DNF. Javier Sagrera, Carlin, 2 laps completed
Joel Grandfors on his race 1 win at Silverstone:
“It got closer towards the end. At the beginning, I had a two second gap and at a few places I was just counting how close he was. And then towards the end he started catching up a bit but then it was too late.
“Hopefully we can do the same tomorrow, try and pull away in the beginning and keep that gap.”
Image credit: @JakobEbrey
Race Two:
For the second race of the weekend at Silverstone Granfors started on pole, but lost P1 with Lebbon taking it from him at Maggots, Becketts on the first lap. By lap 4 Lebbon had a 1.121s lead off Granfors who had just over half a second lead on Browning in P3. Cresswell took damage to his front wing and was the first car to retire from the race.
With the top 3 lapping faster than in qualifying, Lebbon was still out in front with Granfors and Browning behind. Roberto Faria and James Hedley were wheel to wheel on lap 7 of the race, with Faria making a move and getting past Headley for P7. On the same lap, Morales was closing in on Glikes with the pair battling it out around Club corner and the Sir Lewis Hamilton Straight.
On the last lap of the race, Lebbon’s lead was down to 0.9s and Sagrera was given a five-second time penalty for track limits. As the checkered flag was waved, Tom Lebbon took his first-ever GB3 race win, with Granfors in P2 and Browning in P3.
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport, 10 laps
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, +1.013s
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP, +2.882s
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport, +8.409s
- Callum Voisin, Carlin, +10.311
- Roberto Faria, Carlin, +13.607
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport, +16.130
- Matthew Rees, JHR Developments, +16.523
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport, +17.980s
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport, +18.612s
- Javier Sagrera, Carlin, +20.506s
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP, +22.939s
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport, +23.679
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +24.908
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsports, +29.983
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport, +30.611s
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed, +31.225s
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP, +33.712s
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport, +36.770s
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing, five laps
Tom Lebbon on his first GB3 win:
“It felt really good to be honest, I controlled the race quite well, I think. First win for both me and the team in GB3, so I think that’s a good result.
“The move into Maggotts and Becketts, it was quite a good move. I got a bit of a run on Joel and managed to make my way through into the right-hander, got the lead from there and controlled it. It’s a good result for the team, in the Teams’ championships as well as the Drivers’ championship.”
Image credit: @GB3Championship
Race Three:
For the final race of the weekend at Silverstone, David Morales took pole position with Cian Shields and Tommy Smith behind the Arden driver. As the lights went out, Shields took the lead from Morales around Copse corner, creating a 0.446s lead from Gilkes behind. As the drivers finished the first lap, Granfors was storming through the field making up 6 places in one lap.
Lap 4 saw Shields with a 0.628s gap with Aron behind passing both Smith and Morales to take P3. However the battle for the lead had just begun after lap 6 saw just a 0.188s gap between the leaders. The next lap saw a battle for P9 with Oxley, Granfors, Esterson, Bennett, Smith and Lebbon lapping in a train together. On lap 7 Oxley had Granfors behind him all over his rear wing trying to get past, as they went down the Hanger straight they were side by side but had to back out down the Sir Lewis Hamilton straight.
As the chequered flag was waved for the final time at Silverstone, Cian Shields took his maiden win with Nick Gilkes and Bryce Aron completing the podium.
- Cian Shields, Hitech GP, 10 laps
- Nick Gilkes, Hillspeed, +0.434s
- Bryce Aron, Hitech GP, +3.248s
- David Morales, Arden Motorsport, +5.575s
- Javier Sagrera, Carlin, +7.342s
- McKenzy Cresswell, Chris Dittmann Racing, +7.485s
- Alex Connor, Arden Motorsport, +8.212s
- Callum Voisin, Carlin, +13.739s*
- Joel Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, +14.300s
- Max Esterson, Douglas Motorsport, +14.560s
- John Bennett, Elite Motorsport, +15.248s
- Tommy Smith, Douglas Motorsport, +16.802s
- Tom Lebbon, Elite Motorsport, +17.290s
- Branden Oxley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +13.038s*
- Mikkel Grundtvig, Fortec Motorsport, +19.023s
- Zak Taylor, Fortec Motorsports, +21.898s
- Luke Browning, Hitech GP, +22.440s
- James Hedley, Elite Motorsport, +23.747s
DNF. Matthew Rees, JHR Developments, 3 laps
DNF. Roberto Faria, Carlin, 3 laps
*5 second penalty
Cian shields on his first race win at Silverstone:
“It’s amazing to be honest, I never expected this in the first year so I’m extremely happy. I couldn’t ask for better [from Hitech], they’re always spot on with the set up and they always seem to get there in the end, so I can’t thank the team enough.
“I’ve got two of the best team-mates around, obviously we need to look at the data and everything to just to improve, but one of the best.”
Image credit: @JakobEbrey
Read all about the 2022 GB3 partnered by the BRDC season here.
