Fred Green may have missed out on the 2026 GB4 Drivers’ Championship at Brands Hatch, but the Elite Motorsport driver ended his rookie single-seater season with the George Russell Pole Position Cup after establishing himself as the grid’s clear Qualifying benchmark.
Green had already secured the award before the season finale, but underlined his one-lap strength by claiming both Brands Hatch pole positions. His sixth and seventh poles of the season took him five clear of his nearest rivals, Alex O’Grady and Yani Stevenheydens, who ended the year with two each.
The 17-year-old received the George Russell Pole Position Cup after Saturday’s opening race and joined Nikolas Taylor, Tom Mills, Linus Granfors and Isaac Phelps among the award’s previous winners. His success also delivered the accompanying David Poole Warren Pole Position Cup to Elite Motorsport.
Green ends season with emphatic Brands Hatch double
Green arrived at Brands Hatch still mathematically capable of denying O’Grady the Drivers’ Championship, but his Qualifying performances also gave him the opportunity to finish an already successful Pole Position Cup campaign in style.
The Elite Motorsport driver delivered exactly that. Green produced a 1m24.230s around the Grand Prix circuit to secure Race 1 pole by 0.137s from Thomas Ingram Hill, while O’Grady qualified third. His second-best effort of 1m24.246s also proved comfortably quick enough to secure pole for Race 2.
The double brought Green’s final total to seven poles, comfortably the highest figure on the grid. His Qualifying pace subsequently translated into two victories, as he controlled Race 1 from the front before completing the double in Race 2.
Green described the result as an ideal way to complete his maiden single-seater campaign.
Green said, “A perfect way to finish the year and nice to put into action what I’ve learnt. It’s a great achievement to get all of these pole positions and that’s the most positive thing going forward, because as long as you’re fast enough, you can figure the rest out.”
Seven poles underline Green’s one-lap strength
Green’s Brands Hatch performance completed a season in which no rival came close to matching his pole tally. He secured seven across the campaign, while eventual champion O’Grady and Stevenheydens shared second with two apiece.
Luke Hilton, Demitri Nolan and Ingram Hill were the only other drivers to secure a pole during the year, each taking one. Green therefore accounted for almost half of the pole positions awarded across the championship.
His Qualifying speed became one of the clearest strengths of his first single-seater season. Green had previously raced successfully in Ginetta Juniors before stepping into GB4 with Elite Motorsport, but adapted quickly enough to establish himself at the front across a variety of circuits.
That strength also formed an important part of his championship challenge. Although O’Grady’s consistency ultimately secured the Drivers’ title by 33 points, Green regularly gave himself opportunities to score heavily by beginning the conventional-grid races from the front.
His Brands Hatch performance provided the clearest final example. Green converted both poles into wins, but O’Grady’s second place in Race 2 proved enough to settle the championship before the reverse-grid finale.
Pole Position Cup brings £2,050 in prizes
Green’s success also brought a significant financial reward. Each GB4 pole position carried a £150 prize, meaning his seven poles earned £1,050 across the season.
Winning the George Russell Pole Position Cup added another £1,000, taking his direct Qualifying prize money to £2,050. Elite Motorsport also earned £1,000 through the David Poole Warren Pole Position Cup as the team responsible for the season’s most successful Qualifying driver.
The awards form part of John Cavill’s longstanding support of young drivers in MotorSport Vision championships. Cavill has presented pole prizes within the series since its beginnings as BRDC Formula 4 in 2013, continuing the work associated with supporting emerging talent through British junior motorsport.
Green received the season-ending trophy on the Brands Hatch podium following Race 1, where he had also converted his sixth pole into victory.
Green joins established Pole Position Cup roll call
The George Russell Pole Position Cup has previously recognised several drivers who subsequently progressed further through the single-seater ladder.
Green joins Taylor, Mills, Granfors and Phelps as the latest winner, while the award carries the name of Formula 1 driver George Russell, himself a former recipient of Cavill-backed pole position honours during his junior career.
For Green, the prize provides another positive result from a season in which he emerged as O’Grady’s closest championship challenger. The Drivers’ crown ultimately went elsewhere, but seven poles, multiple victories and the Pole Position Cup gave the Elite Motorsport driver plenty to take from his first year in single-seaters.
His Brands Hatch double provided an appropriate conclusion. Green entered the final weekend already guaranteed the prize and nevertheless extended his advantage from three poles to five, leaving little doubt over who had set the Qualifying standard across the 2026 season.
2026 George Russell Pole Position Cup standings
- Fred Green — 7 poles
- Alex O’Grady — 2 poles
= Yani Stevenheydens — 2 poles - Luke Hilton — 1 pole
= Demitri Nolan — 1 pole
= Thomas Ingram Hill — 1 pole
The official final Pole Position Cup standings therefore leave Green five clear of his nearest challengers, completing a dominant Qualifying campaign despite narrowly missing out on GB4’s biggest prize.
