Esterson gets first GB3 win at Donington from Browning and Granfors

Max Esterson took his first win in slicks-and-wings racing by taking Race 2 honours in the GB3 Championship at Donington Park.

The Walter Hayes Trophy winner started on pole after taking third on Saturday afternoon, ahead of Race 1 winner Callum Voisin, Joel Granfors and Matthew Rees who hoped to avoid a repeat of their first-lap incident on Saturday afternoon.

Alex Connor got a slow start, but everyone was able to avoid him as Voisin tried to hold on around the outside of Esterson.

But he ran out of room on the exit of the Old Hairpin and bounced across the grass, coming back on in sixth place.

David Morales boxed at the end of the first lap without a front wing, while things remained close up and down the order.

Esterson still led after two laps, ahead of Luke Browning and Granfors, Browning having set the fastest lap on Lap 2.

Nico Christodoulou was putting in a strong showing in only his second GB3 race, getting past McKenzy Cresswell into P11.

Morales rejoined once his front wing had been replaced, while the top three began to break away from James Hedley in fourth.

Connor moved ahead of Javier Sagrera as he tried to atone for his slow start, getting back up to ninth.

Browning continued to close the gap to Esterson, setting the fastest lap again with a 1:23.276 on Lap 3, though that was only a few hundredths quicker than Esterson’s best effort.

The American responded by putting in a 1:23.123 a lap later, extending his lead to 0.9s, with Granfors a similar distance behind Browning.

Browning then went two tenths quicker than the leader on the next lap, but still eight hundredths behind the fastest lap at the time.

Rees ran sixth, and set the fastest Sector 2 time on Lap 9 as he looked to challenge Roberto Faria in the late stages.

The gap between Esterson and Browning was just half a second at the start of the penultimate lap, with the Douglas Motorsport driver holding on to take his first GB3 win, and the team’s first since Ulysse de Pauw drove for the team in 2020.

Granfors completed the podium, ahead of Hedley, Faria, Rees, Voisin, Tom Lebbon, Alex Connor and Javier Sagrera.

GB3 Donington Race 2 Results: