2026 | GB4 | Brands Hatch | Testing | Grant leads Achituv as title contenders stay close

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Douglas Motorsport’s Conor Grant set the pace during Friday testing at Brands Hatch as the GB4 field completed four sessions on the Indy circuit ahead of the final round of the 2026 season.

The Irish rookie produced a 45.020s during the opening session and held onto the top spot throughout the day. Elite Motorsport’s Matan Achituv came within just 0.009s of Grant’s benchmark, while championship contender Fred Green completed the combined top three.

Grant and Achituv set early benchmark

Grant immediately established the time to beat during Friday’s opening session, completing his quickest lap on the 18th of his 29 tours. His 45.020s put him only 0.009s ahead of Achituv, who also set his best time during the morning run.

Thomas Ingram Hill initially occupied third for Fortec Motorsports, 0.229s away from Grant, while Green followed another 0.022s behind. Championship leader Alex O’Grady completed the opening-session top five for KMR Sport with a 45.279s.

The opening run ultimately proved decisive for the combined order. Grant and Achituv both failed to improve later in the day, while nobody else managed to break the 45.2s barrier across the remaining three sessions.

Grant’s performance also continued a strong run for the Douglas Motorsport rookie after he finished second in the reverse-grid Race 3 at Donington Park during the previous round.

Green responds as championship contenders remain close

Green moved to the front during Session 2, setting a 45.215s to beat O’Grady by 0.132s. That effort also lifted the Elite Motorsport driver to third in the combined classification, 0.195s behind Grant.

Ingram Hill followed only 0.017s behind O’Grady in the session and retained fourth overall through his earlier 45.249s. Meanwhile, Fortec teammate Franciszek Cegielski took fourth in Session 2 and eventually completed the combined top six.

The close order carried added significance ahead of the championship decider. Five drivers entered the Brands Hatch weekend with a mathematical chance of winning the 2026 GB4 Drivers’ Championship, with O’Grady holding a 49-point advantage over Green.

All five title contenders finished inside the combined top 11. Green led that group in third, followed by Ingram Hill in fourth and O’Grady in fifth. Hillspeed’s Enzo Hallman took seventh, while Douglas Motorsport’s Dayton Coulthard finished 11th.

O’Grady leads Session 3 before Green closes Friday on top

O’Grady moved to the head of the field during Session 3, producing a 45.284s to finish 0.063s ahead of Hallman. Pace Performance’s Torrin Byrne followed in third, just 0.002s ahead of Coulthard, as the leading four drivers finished within 0.179s.

However, the session produced no changes at the front of the combined classification. O’Grady’s effort fell five thousandths short of his own morning benchmark, leaving him fifth overall.

Green then finished the day fastest in Session 4. The Elite Motorsport driver recorded a 45.330s to lead teammate Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso by 0.063s, while Grant followed another thousandth behind in third.

Ingram Hill and Coulthard completed the final-session top five, but the warmer afternoon running left Grant’s opening-session benchmark untouched.

Less than half a second separates the leading 12

Although Grant and Achituv held a noticeable advantage over the rest of the field, the combined classification remained closely packed behind them. Only 0.426s separated Grant from Connor Willis in 10th, while Coulthard and Byrne followed closely to put the leading 12 within 0.441s.

Cegielski claimed sixth overall and finished as the highest-placed driver among the Rookie Cup contenders behind Grant. Hallman followed just 0.009s behind in seventh, with Del Grosso another 0.010s back in eighth.

John O’Donnell placed ninth for Pace Performance ahead of Willis, while Coulthard’s 45.458s from the final session moved him to 11th. Byrne completed the leading 12 with a 45.461s, just three thousandths behind the Douglas Motorsport driver.

GB4 now switches from the 1.208-mile Indy layout to the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit for the competitive portion of the season finale. As outlined in the Pit Debrief Brands Hatch weekend preview, Qualifying begins at 13:20 on Saturday before Race 1 starts at 17:20.