Alex O’Grady opened his 2026 GB4 Championship campaign with a confident and competitive performance at Silverstone, continuing the clear progress he has made over the last 12 months.
The KMR Sport driver currently sits fourth in the early championship standings after securing a podium finish and consistently running near the front throughout the opening weekend. Importantly, the strong start came at a circuit that previously caused difficulties for O’Grady, highlighting the significant gains both he and the team have made since last season.
Now, with momentum building and Oulton Park approaching, O’Grady believes he is in a strong position to challenge regularly at the front of the grid.
O’Grady reflects on major improvement at 2026 GB4 Silverstone opener
Silverstone represented a significant benchmark for O’Grady after a difficult experience at the circuit during the previous campaign. Twelve months ago, he fought through the field from the back of the grid on multiple occasions and struggled to establish himself near the front.
This season, however, the situation looked very different. O’Grady showed strong pace immediately in testing before converting that speed into a front-row qualifying result and a podium finish across the race weekend.
“It was definitely a much better start to the season than last year, especially at Silverstone where we never even qualified in the top 12 on both occasions [in 2025],” O’Grady commented while speaking to GB4.
“To be setting the pace in testing [this year] and then qualifying on the front row, it’s fair to say we made big steps forward. We lie just 14 points behind the championship lead so it sets us up very nicely for the rest of the season.”
As a result, O’Grady leaves the opening round encouraged not only by the points tally, but also by the pace he consistently demonstrated throughout the weekend.
Strong pace leaves O’Grady wanting more
Despite the positive overall result, O’Grady admitted he left Silverstone believing even greater results had been possible. After showing excellent speed during Friday running, he felt several factors prevented him from fully converting that pace into maximum points.
In particular, he pointed towards race starts and changing track conditions as areas that affected his overall performance during the weekend.
“I was a bit disappointed we didn’t come away with more to be honest, considering the pace we showed on the Friday. The starts definitely let me down a bit, and as the track changed I also struggled, especially in Race 2 where we lacked pace. But there are still many positives to take away, with a podium finish and a good amount of points across the three races.”
Nevertheless, O’Grady’s reflections underline how much his expectations have changed entering his sophomore season. Rather than simply targeting points finishes, he now expects to compete consistently for podiums and victories.
Continuity with KMR Sport proving valuable
A major factor behind O’Grady’s improvement has been his decision to remain with KMR Sport for a second season. The continuity between driver and team has allowed both sides to build upon last year’s experience and make more rapid progress.
O’Grady believes the strong working relationship has helped unlock greater performance, particularly through setup development and increased understanding of the car.
“It’s been great working with KMR Sport, every day in the car we learn something or make setup improvements. It’s nice to be able to top sessions and run at the front with them this year, so hopefully we can keep that form going throughout the year.”
Consequently, O’Grady heads into the upcoming rounds with growing confidence in both his own ability and the package around him.
Oulton Park presents another opportunity for O’Grady after strong 2026 GB4 Silverstone opener
Next, the GB4 Championship moves to Oulton Park, a circuit that holds positive memories for O’Grady following his breakthrough victory there last season.
Although changing weather conditions played a major role in that success, O’Grady still considers the Cheshire circuit one of his favourites and believes he can fight for victory again this year.
“It was great to get our first win last year, but to be honest we got lucky as most of the quick guys were on the wrong tyre. Still, it is one of my favourite tracks and we are aiming to go back there and win again this year.
“The pace was very strong in testing, and since then I’d say we’ve gotten even better. The target is to try and get pole position and win the first two races. Race three is all about keeping the nose clean and going forward, which I will aim to do again.”
Following an encouraging start at Silverstone, O’Grady now arrives at Oulton Park carrying momentum, confidence, and clear ambitions to strengthen his position in the GB4 Championship fight.
