Joel Granfors’ treble podium at Silverstone ensured he left the home of the British Grand Prix with a reclaimed championship lead.
The Fortec driver claimed his second win of the season in race one, matching his achievement at the previous Silverstone round in May. He then backed that up with third place in race two, a result that saw him snatch the championship lead back from Luke Browning, who had been forced to start from the back of the grid for all three races after his car failed post-qualifying scrutineering for a technical infringement.
But perhaps his most impressive drive came in a thrilling final race, in which he started 18th on the grid, and yet found his way to third once more, gaining a total of 15 places compared to his starting position.
Finishing on the podium across all three races in a weekend is a rare feat; something only Roman Bilinski has achieved across the most recent four seasons. The results mean Granfors left Silverstone with an 11.5-point championship lead, having started it 30.5-points in arrears.
Little wonder then, that Granfors reckons it’s one of the most pivotal events of his career so far.
“It’s been a fantastic weekend. Perhaps the best of my career,” he said. “We really needed to deliver this weekend. Taking a win, a third place and another podium from 18th on the grid in race three is more than we could have asked for.
“It’s been a big weekend for the entire team, of course [fellow Fortec-runner Nikolas Taylor won all three GB4 races at the venue], and all the Fortec guys have done a great job.
“This was an extremely important weekend in championship terms. I knew that I needed to deliver here at Silverstone, where we know we’re strong, and that’s exactly what we did.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be honest. It’s game on and we’re going for the title, no doubt.”