Conor Grant believes his maiden GB4 Championship victory is within reach as Douglas Motorsport heads to Donington Park this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2026 season.
The 19-year-old has made steady progress during recent events, taking his first podium at Silverstone before producing another strong weekend at Snetterton. He has also qualified inside the top eight for each of the previous four main races, giving him increasingly regular opportunities to fight towards the front.
Grant now wants to convert that improvement into a first victory at a circuit where he has already demonstrated strong race pace.
Grant sees clear progress towards GB4 frontrunners
Grant’s recent results have reflected the progress both he and Douglas Motorsport have made during his rookie campaign.
His first GB4 podium arrived at Silverstone, providing an important breakthrough after several weekends of steadily closing the gap to the championship’s established frontrunners. Snetterton then brought his best Qualifying result of the year and two finishes inside the top six.
Grant believes those performances show Douglas has developed into one of the championship’s strongest packages.
“We’re making strides forward every weekend to get to the front guys,” said the Irishman to GB4. “That’s been evident over the last two race weekends where we are now on the fastest [teams] on the grid.”
That improvement also gives Grant more confidence heading into the final two rounds. Rather than simply targeting points, he now expects to challenge for victories if he can maximise each stage of the weekend.
Previous Donington charge provides encouragement
GB4 returns to Donington for the second time this season, giving Grant another opportunity at a venue where he produced one of his standout drives earlier in the year.
During the championship’s previous visit, he gained 12 positions in Race 2 to finish sixth. At the time, that represented his best result of the season and highlighted the race craft that has become one of his strengths as the campaign has progressed.
Grant believes Douglas also possesses a strong baseline around the Leicestershire circuit.
“We’ve got a strong car at Donington,” he said. “We’ve got to keep ticking away and we’ll be right there for some wins in the next two [race] weekends.”
His expectations have consequently changed since the championship last raced there. A sixth-place finish represented a breakthrough during the earlier round, but Grant now arrives believing a place on the top step is achievable.
Snetterton strengthens confidence ahead of Round 6
Grant heads to Donington after another encouraging performance at Snetterton.
He produced his best Qualifying result of the season and converted that pace into two top-six finishes, continuing a run in which he has started the main races much closer to the front.
The weekend also demonstrated the strength of Douglas Motorsport across both cars. Grant and teammate Dayton Coulthard regularly ran at a similar pace, giving the team two drivers capable of challenging among the leading group.
“We’re getting stronger every time we are in the car,” Grant said. “I’ve come on a lot as a driver and we have optimised the car we have for myself, as well as the package we have. Snetterton was a strong weekend for the team, Dayton and I have both been quick.”
That internal competition has helped push Grant forward while also strengthening Douglas’ position during a closely contested second half of the season.
Snetterton excursion produces lighter moment
Grant and Coulthard’s close competition briefly became a little too literal during the opening Snetterton race.
While battling his teammate, Grant ran off the circuit and travelled through the neighbouring farmland before rejoining. His GB4 car returned carrying a considerable amount of linseed from the crop surrounding the circuit.
The incident cost him time, but Grant could see the humorous side after the weekend had finished.
“I got back on track and didn’t realise how much farmland I had taken back on track with me,” said Grant. “I [should have] invoiced the farmer for my days’ work!”
Photographs of the car, covered with vegetation after its excursion, quickly became one of the more unusual images from the weekend.
“There were some funny photos,” admitted Grant. “At the end of the weekend, I could look back at them and laugh, but I wasn’t very happy when it happened.”
Donington offers fewer opportunities for agricultural detours, although its gravel traps and strict track limits present different risks.
Qualifying remains key to maiden victory hopes
Grant believes Qualifying will provide the most important opportunity to put himself in contention for his first win.
His recent improvement over one lap has already transformed his race weekends. Starting inside the top eight reduces the amount of ground he needs to recover and allows him to use the race pace and overtaking ability he has demonstrated throughout the season.
However, Donington places particular emphasis on keeping laps within track limits. Drivers can easily lose competitive times by exceeding the circuit boundaries, making precision crucial during a tightly matched Qualifying session.
“We have to do a good job in qualifying and avoid the track limits,” he said. “Our race pace and race craft is then good enough to really go after that first win of the season.”
With only Donington and Brands Hatch remaining, Grant has six races left to convert his recent progress into victory.
His first podium at Silverstone showed that he can compete at the front, while Snetterton provided further evidence that his Qualifying pace now matches his race performance. Returning to a circuit where he previously climbed 12 positions gives him another opportunity to put those pieces together.
For Grant, the target at Donington is therefore clear: qualify near the front, avoid unnecessary setbacks and give himself the chance to fight for his first GB4 victory.
