Granfors takes first GB3 poles at Silverstone

Joel Granfors took a double-pole position as the GB3 Championship visited Silverstone for the second round of the season.

He and McKenzy Cresswell traded the top times early in the session, with lap times immediately several seconds under last year’s lap record.

Several drivers returned to the pits early in the session, while Matthew Rees and Alex Connor moved into the midfield with their first laps.

Bryce Aron, Luke Browning, James Hedley, Tom Lebbon and Nick Gilkes took their time in setting a lap, taking until the halfway point of the session to do so.

Roberto Faria only set one lap in the first half of the session, that being 20 seconds off the pace set by Granfors.

The Swedish driver was joined at the top by Max Esterson, who has good memories of Silverstone after his Walter Hayes Trophy successes last year.

Browning shot towards the top of the times with seven minutes remaining, behind Matthew Rees and John Bennett, while double podium-finisher at Oulton Park, Faria went second with his first representative effort.

Lebbon went from 20th to sixth with a 1:53.829, seven tenths behind Granfors in the final five minutes, with the 20-car field separated by 2.7 seconds.

The Elite Motorsport driver then went second, reducing the gap to three tenths, while Tommy Smith and Rees each saw a lap disallowed for track limits infringements.

Testing pace-setter James Hedley leapfrogged Esterson and fellow British F4 graduate Rees to go fifth, as Branden Oxley also improved from 18th to 12th for Chris Dittmann Racing.

Cresswell saw a lap disallowed at the end of the session, placing him tenth.

Joel Granfors took pole for both Race 1 and Race 2, ahead of Lebbon, Browning and Faria.

GB3 Silverstone Qualifying Results: