Douglas Motorsport’s Conor Grant expressed his delight after claiming his maiden GB4 pole position during Saturday morning’s qualifying session for the inaugural 2026 GB4 Winter Series at Snetterton. The Irishman narrowly beat teammate George Proudford-Nalder by just 0.020s following a closely contested battle for the fastest lap.
Grant produced a 1:49.604 on his penultimate lap to secure pole for the opening race, ending his teammate’s dominance of pre-event testing. Although a late yellow flag prevented further improvements, the result provided an encouraging start to the weekend as Grant targets his first GB4 victory.
Grant celebrates maiden GB4 pole despite late yellow flags
Grant delivered his decisive qualifying lap with approximately two minutes remaining, moving ahead of Proudford-Nalder after the Douglas Motorsport teammates exchanged fastest times throughout the session.
However, a late yellow flag at Coram disrupted the final attempts, preventing Grant from exploring whether he could improve his benchmark.
Nevertheless, the Irishman remained delighted with his performance, particularly after narrowly missing previous opportunities to claim pole during the regular GB4 season.
“It was a good lap in the end, we got it in!” he said. “It was a little bit disappointing about the last lap in the yellow flags, but hey, that’s racing. We got the lap in and it was pole!”
The result also secured a front-row lockout for Douglas Motorsport, with Proudford-Nalder qualifying second. Meanwhile, Elite Motorsport’s Jesse Phillips completed the top three, finishing 0.279s behind Grant.
Grant surprised to beat dominant Proudford-Nalder
Grant’s qualifying success followed an impressive testing programme from Proudford-Nalder, who had established himself as the early favourite for pole position.
The Australian topped three of Thursday’s four sessions, setting the fastest time of the day in dry conditions. He subsequently completed a clean sweep of Friday’s wet running, demonstrating competitive pace regardless of track conditions.
However, Grant found the performance he needed when qualifying began, delivering his strongest lap at a crucial moment.
The Irishman acknowledged his teammate’s pace but explained that he always believed pole remained within reach.
“George has been really fast all weekend. He’s been very tough to beat, so I think a little bit of a surprise [to be on pole], but I knew if I did a good job, it was definitely possible. I think we did exactly that and here we are.”
Grant targets breakthrough GB4 victory from pole
With his first pole position secured, Grant has now turned his attention towards claiming his maiden GB4 race victory.
The Douglas Motorsport driver demonstrated steady progression throughout the 2026 championship, securing his first podium with third place at Silverstone before improving to second later in the campaign.
His performances also helped him secure runner-up honours in the Rookie Championship, providing a foundation for his continued development.
However, Grant understands that converting pole into victory will require another strong performance, particularly with Proudford-Nalder starting alongside him.
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens in race one. Obviously, a lot of things have to fall on the place for that. I have to do my job again, but it’s definitely possible and I’m really confident in the car. I’m really confident in the way we manage the tyre as well and the cold conditions. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Douglas Motorsport prepares for opening Winter Series races
Grant will lead the field away in Saturday’s opening race, while Proudford-Nalder will start alongside him on the front row.
However, the Australian secured pole position for Race 2 after recording the fastest second-best qualifying lap, a 1:49.652. Grant will start second, giving Douglas Motorsport another opportunity to challenge for victory.
The opening race begins at 12:20 local time, with Race 2 scheduled for 15:20. Both contests will award points towards the inaugural Winter Series title before another qualifying session and two races on Sunday.
For Grant, the immediate objective remains clear. Having finally secured his first GB4 pole position, the Irishman hopes to convert his qualifying breakthrough into a maiden victory.
