Franciszek Cegielski believes his first GB4 Championship victory will soon follow his maiden podium at Donington Park in 2026.
The Fortec Motorsports driver finished second in Race 1 before adding two ninth-place results across the remainder of the weekend. Consequently, he maintained his record of finishing inside the top 10 in every race across the last two rounds.
Cegielski also strengthened his position at the top of the rookie standings and will return to Silverstone with growing confidence in his ability to challenge GB4’s more experienced frontrunners.
Cegielski celebrates maiden GB4 podium
Cegielski started Race 1 from the front row and remained in contention throughout the contest. Luke Hilton ultimately held him off by half a second, but second place gave the Polish driver his first GB4 podium after only three rounds in the championship.
“I’m super happy with the podium and glad to step on it after just two rounds,” said the Pole.
The result represented another important step in Cegielski’s development during his debut campaign. Moreover, it confirmed the pace that he and Fortec have shown since the start of the season.
Mistakes leave Cegielski wanting more
Cegielski completed the weekend with ninth place in both Race 2 and Race 3. Those results gave him a second consecutive round with three top-10 finishes. However, the 16-year-old believed he could have achieved more in the final two contests.
“There was more to give,” he said. “I made a few mistakes that I shouldn’t have but it’s all experience.”
Rather than dwell on those errors, Cegielski intends to use them as lessons for the second half of the campaign. His consistency still delivered a valuable points haul, while his Race 1 podium demonstrated what he can achieve when he maximises the car’s potential.
Qualifying creates unexpected opportunity
A challenging Qualifying session shaped the Donington grid after track-limits infringements cost several drivers their fastest laps.
Although Cegielski did not secure his front-row position in the manner he had expected, he capitalised on the opportunity during Race 1.
“Overall, I’m happy with the result. It was a tricky qualifying and not the way I would like to start on the front row, but I’ll take it all day.”
Cegielski then delivered a composed performance to keep Hilton under pressure and secure second place.
As a result, he left Donington ninth in the drivers’ standings with 101 points and retained his position as the championship’s leading rookie.
Rookie leader targets regular front-running results
Cegielski now wants to challenge the established frontrunners more consistently.
Although several drivers ahead of him possess more experience, the Pole believes his speed already allows him to compete at the top. He now needs further mileage and race experience to turn that potential into victories.
“I think I am capable of fighting at the top consistently,” said Cegielski. “Race after race, I feel so much better. The pace is always there, it’s just about getting the experience, getting more laps in and the wins are pretty close.”
His progress across the opening three rounds supports that confidence. In addition, his consistent top-10 record has allowed him to build a solid championship position while he continues to learn.
Therefore, Cegielski views his maiden victory as the next logical step rather than a distant target.
Silverstone familiarity boosts confidence
The GB4 Championship will return to Silverstone for the fourth round of the season.
Cegielski raced at the circuit during April’s season opener, so he already understands the challenges that the venue presents. That familiarity gives him a stronger foundation than he had before the previous two rounds.
“I feel better than the last two rounds because I know what to expect from the track and what to work on,” he said.
Cegielski will now aim to combine that circuit knowledge with the confidence he gained from his Donington podium.
After proving that he can fight at the front, the rookie leader will target another strong points haul and take another step towards his first GB4 victory.
