The 2026 GB4 Championship pre-season intensified at Donington Park, where 27 drivers completed two days of competitive running during the official media test. Across both days, Luke Hilton delivered a standout performance, consistently setting the pace and reinforcing his status as one of the early favourites for the new season.
However, while Hilton controlled the timing screens overall, strong challenges from Thomas Ingram Hill, Fred Green, and a tightly packed field ensured the test remained highly competitive from start to finish.
2026 GB4: Donington Park: Day 1: Hilton completes session sweep
Hilton dominated the opening day in commanding fashion, topping all four sessions at Donington Park. He set the benchmark early with a 1m28.763s lap and never relinquished control, demonstrating both speed and consistency throughout the day.
As a result, he finished 0.162 seconds clear of Jason Smyth, while Smyth’s Douglas Motorsport teammate Dayton Coulthard secured third place.
Behind them, Green placed fourth, narrowly ahead of Alex O’Grady, with just 0.028 seconds separating the pair. Meanwhile, Joshua McLean took sixth, followed closely by Lily-May Watkins, who continued her impressive pre-season progress.
Further down, Enzo Hallman led Hillspeed in eighth, ahead of Connor Willis and Matan Achituv. Importantly, the top ten remained extremely close, with less than eight tenths covering the group.
Day 1 Standings (Top 10)
- Luke Hilton – 1m28.763s
- Jason Smyth +0.162s
- Dayton Coulthard +0.216s
- Fred Green +0.439s
- Alex O’Grady +0.467s
- Joshua McLean +0.489s
- Lily-May Watkins +0.543s
- Enzo Hallman +0.613s
- Connor Willis +0.784s
- Matan Achituv +0.798s
2026 GB4: Donington Park: Day 2: Hilton stays fastest as rivals close in
Hilton maintained his strong form on the second day, improving his time to a 1m28.546s in the third session. Although he did not replicate his full day-one dominance across every session, he still ended the day fastest overall.
Nevertheless, the gap to the field narrowed. Ingram Hill delivered a strong performance to finish second, just 0.057 seconds behind, while Green secured third after another consistent showing across the day.
O’Grady and Franek Cegielski completed the top five, both setting competitive session times that kept them firmly in contention. Coulthard followed in sixth, maintaining Douglas Motorsport’s presence near the front.
Elsewhere, Connor Willis led Hillspeed in seventh, just ahead of Achituv. Hallman and Torrin Byrne rounded out the top ten, with less than a second once again covering the leading group.
Importantly, difficult conditions across some sessions tested consistency, yet several drivers still managed to extract competitive lap times.
Day 2 Standings (Top 10)
- Luke Hilton – 1m28.546s
- Thomas Ingram Hill +0.057s
- Fred Green +0.324s
- Alex O’Grady +0.352s
- Franek Cegielski +0.540s
- Dayton Coulthard +0.629s
- Connor Willis +0.750s
- Matan Achituv +0.763s
- Enzo Hallman +0.860s
- Torrin Byrne +0.920s
Overall impression
Across both days, Hilton emerged as the benchmark performer, combining outright speed with sustained consistency. However, Ingram Hill’s pace, Green’s reliability, and O’Grady’s continued progress suggest a tightly contested season ahead.
With Silverstone testing next on the schedule, the competitive order remains finely balanced, and multiple drivers have already signalled their intent to challenge for victories once the championship begins.
