Fortec’s Nikolas Taylor tops pre-event test for inaugural GB4 round

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Fortec Motorsports’ Nikolas Taylor topped both pre-event test days for this weekend’s inaugural GB4 round at Snetterton.

After lapping 0.137 seconds faster than Tom Mills on Thursday, Taylor shaved 0.4s off his own benchmark during the final session on Friday to end up quickest overall ahead of Kevin Mills Racing pair Jarrod Waberski and Mills.

Thursday’s seven hours of action started with very little activity, with Fortec’s Elias Adestam setting an initial 2m33.475s pace which put him 10s ahead of anyone else.

Adestam’s team-mates ran into trouble, with Jessica Edgar not having laptimes recorded due to transponder issues, and Mills came to the fore with a 2m24.518s. He improved by four seconds, then got into the 2m13s.

Going into the second half of the morning session he was 7.753s up on next-best Karol Pasiewicz. His Hillspeed team-mate Max Marzorati briefly appeared to be fastest before his transponder reset to show him only on track in the final 42 minutes.

At this point team-mate Megan Gilkes was fastest, 7.6s up on Adesteam with a 2m04.371s. Mills returned to the top in the final half-hour, his 1m54.783s putting him 1.1993s ahead of Gilkes. Only seven drivers took part.

Elite Motorsport’s Alex Walker was quickest for most the afternoon session after setting an early 1m49.917s, but in the final 20 minutes was usurped by Taylor’s 1m49.578s. Mills snuck into second with his last lap, while Edgar’s transponder issues continued. Fortec said her best lap lap was 1m54.6s.

A wet track resulted in laptimes being 10s slower in the first of Friday’s four sessions. Gilkes led with a 2m02.235s before Walker went 0.2s faster with 10 minutes remaining. She immediately responded, but Walker set a 2m00.150s next time by to be fastest by 1.074s.

Walker and Gilkes again traded fastest laps at the start of a faster second morning session. Marzorati and Taylor then had spells at the top, before Waberski set a series of quick laps to finish on top and just shy of Taylor’s Thursday pace.

Lunchtime snow left Snetterton wet early in the first afternoon session. Laptimes tumbled as conditions improved, with Graham Brunton Racing’s Logan Hannah going quickest five minutes before the end. Mills and Waberski bettered her, then Taylor posted a session-topping 1m50.041s.

Taylor was quickest again in the final session, with Mills heading Waberski as they disputed second place.

Walker skipped the afternoon but was fourth fastest overall ahead of team-mate Jack Sherwood. Adestam set the most laps, and Edgar, with a working transponder, improved in the final session, as did GBR’s Hannah and Chloe Grant.

Transponder issues meant Rossoverde Racing’s Christian Lester had no recorded laptimes.

Test results