Linus Granfors is the GB4 winner in Silverstone thriller

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Linus Granfors took a comfortable victory in the opening GB4 contest at Silverstone, but only after prevailing in an early battle with Finn Harrison.

Elite Motorsport’s Harrison had pole, with Fortec Motorsports driver Granfors alongside him on the front row. Harrison led Granfors into Copse for the first time, while several drivers behind them struggled off the line.

Arden’s Leon Wilson maintained third despite a slow getaway, and KMR Sport’s Harry Burgoyne Jr climbed from seventh to pass Elite’s Alisha Palmowski for fourth. Graham Brunton Racing’s Callum Baxter, who was promoted to fifth after a deleted qualifying lap was reinstated, bogged down and lost several places and KMR’s Brandon McCaughan stalled from sixth.

Palmowski inadvertently reclaimed fourth by taking avoiding action of Burgoyne under braking for Stowe, and took advantage of Wilson going defensive one corner later to make a switchback overtake on the inside of Club into third. Wilson then also lost out to Burgoyne exiting Luffield before lap one was done and continued to slip down the order from there.

The front two pulled clear, with Harrison holding a slender 0.4-second advantage over Granfors. That gap was halved on lap two, while Palmowski set the fastest lap behind them.

Granfors capitalised on Harrison taking a defensive line into Copse to draw alongside at the exit and snatch first into Maggotts, but Harrison fought back on the outside of Stowe before completing a move up the inside at Vale. The pair then went side-by-side into Abbey, with Palmowski now having eradicated a two-second deficit and joined the lead squabble.

Harrison continued to defend against Granfors through the next few corners, with Granfors repeating his Maggotts move to reach to the front again. Palmowski then pounced to sweep past Harrison on the Hangar Straight.

From there Granfors pulled away and won by 7.017s over Palmowski, who had a gap of 3.841s to third place.

Burgoyne initially applied pressure on Harrison for the final podium spot but faded into the clutches of privateer Marcus Luzio, who had climbed from 11th on the grid and prevailed in an early battle with Wilson and KMR’s Chloe Grant to run fifth. After passing Burgoyne, Luzio reeled in Harrison and made a challenge into both Stowe and Vale, with Harrison using the inside line both times to remain ahead and also into Brooklands.

Luzio made a superior exit from Copse on the penultimate lap and snuck up the inside, while surviving a sideways moment. at Maggotts to grab third. The pair then went side-by-side down the Hangar Straight and Harrison wrestled the position back at Vale, but Luzio moved back up the inside at Village and remained ahead on the final lap for his first single-seater podium.

Burgoyne finished fifth after resisting a final lap challenge from Grant, who lost out to the recovering McCaughan before the end.

Fox Motorsport’s Brandon Templeton was eighth ahead of Baxter and Fortec’s Jack Taylor, while Fox’s Megan Bruce finished 14th after an early spin.

Race results (9 laps)