Granfors and Esterson share GB3 poles at Donington

Joel Granfors and Max Esterson took pole position for the first two GB3 Championship races of the weekend at Donington Park on Saturday morning.

Branden Oxley set the first representative time, similar in pace to last year’s pole time in the old Tatuus BF3-020, but Luke Browning quickly smashed it with a 1:24.064.

Oxley also improved, setting a 1:24.102 before Javier Sagrera and Callum Voisin put their Carlin cars in the top two positions, separated by just 0.006s.

Nico Christodoulou, running with Arden Motorsport this weekend for his first GB3 action in partnership with Velocity Racing Development, shot up the order to go fourth.

Championship leader Granfors then went quickest, with Matthew Rees and Max Esterson getting up to third and fourth respectively.

Alex Connor‘s first representative time of a 1:23.614 put him in the upper midfield, before Esterson went top with a 1:22.917.

Connor improved again to go back up to fourth, with Tom Lebbon also improving to sixth in the latter stages.

Nick Gilkes pulled into the pits in the sole Hillspeed entry halfway through the session without having set a full-pace time.

Connor then went third with four minutes left, ahead of Granfors and Browning, with Matthew Rees improving to take provisional pole.

Granfors then went 0.019s quicker than the JHR Developments car of his former British F4 rival Rees, while Roberto Faria showed his hand to go up to sixth.

Oxley saw two laps disallowed for exceeding track limits at McLeans, while sitting P18 as the chequered flag flew.

Granfors stayed on top to take pole, ahead of Rees, Voisin, Esterson and Alex Connor.

Luke Browning, Roberto Faria, James Hedley, Lebbon and Christodoulou rounded out the top ten.

Max Esterson will start Race 2 from pole, due to setting the best second-fastest time of any driver, ahead of Voisin and Granfors.

GB3 Donington Qualifying Results: