The 2026 GB4 Championship opened its competitive account at the Silverstone Circuit with a tightly contested Qualifying session, where Luke Hilton, Fred Green and Alex O’Grady emerged as the quickest trio on the road.
Hilton initially delivered a standout performance for Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing, securing both provisional poles across the session. However, post-session stewarding decisions later reshaped the outcome after yellow flag infringements, altering the final classification significantly.
Despite the later changes, Hilton’s on-track performance remained one of the defining stories of the session. He showed strong pace throughout and consistently positioned himself at the sharp end during a fiercely competitive run where margins stayed exceptionally tight.
Green and O’Grady also featured heavily in the battle for top positions, both showing strong consistency and race pace potential across their respective runs. Moreover, the three drivers consistently operated within a narrow performance window, reflecting how closely matched the GB4 field appears heading into the season opener.
As a result, the opening Qualifying session set the tone for a highly competitive weekend, where track position, execution and consistency will play a decisive role in determining race outcomes.
Luke Hilton: “Mega job” but focus turns to clean execution
Despite later disqualification from the official classification, Hilton delivered one of the standout performances of the session and reflected positively on both his personal progress and his team’s preparation with speaking to GB4.
“Last year was a bit of a learning year, a few mistakes I had to go over the winter and learn and recuperate on. This year is just about collecting points and keeping my nose clean.”
He also praised the effort behind his performance, particularly given limited testing mileage heading into the season.
“What I delivered today, I think I’m very chuffed with that and I think my team are happy because they did a mega job. We’ve worked hard over pre-season with only the pre-season official days that we’ve had; we’ve had no private testing, nothing!”
Looking ahead to race conditions, Hilton highlighted the importance of control and consistency in a tightly packed field.
“Off the bat, we’ve just been up there and I’m really proud of the team; we’ve worked hard. A mega well done to Elite and the guy in third – Green and whoever qualified third – mega job for those guys. They’re close and it’s not going to be an easy race. I’m going to have to really hold my white line so then I keep first hopefully. It’s making sure we get a mega start and keeping our nose clean for the race and getting on with the job.”
Fred Green: Strong debut pace and growing confidence
Fred Green produced an impressive performance in his first single-seater Qualifying session, securing a front-row starting position and immediately establishing himself as a serious contender in Elite Motorsport colours.
Green admitted a mix of satisfaction and frustration after narrowly missing out on pole, yet he remained encouraged by his overall performance level in such a competitive field.
“I’m quite happy, naturally disappointed because we’re not on pole, but not a bad first effort for my first single-seater qualifying.”
He emphasised a measured approach to the season, focusing on consistency rather than immediate results. In a championship expected to remain closely contested throughout, that mindset could prove valuable.
“I’ll just take it as it comes and every opportunity I get, I’ll make sure I make the most of, so I’m looking forward to it, and we will see what we can do.”
Green also avoided setting rigid expectations, instead highlighting the importance of capitalising on every race opportunity.
“I’ve not really got a goal or anything, I just make the most out of every race. It’s a long championship, so points are key, don’t get too carried away but obviously a few wins would be lovely.”
Finally, he expressed clear excitement about returning to UK racing competition, reinforcing his motivation heading into the opening rounds.
“I honestly can’t wait, it’s been a while since I’ve raced in England so I’m honestly so excited.”
Alex O’Grady: Maximising difficult track conditions
Alex O’Grady faced a challenging opening phase of Qualifying, with track position and traffic limiting his early opportunities to set a fully representative lap for KMR Sport.
He explained that his group’s timing on circuit placed him at a disadvantage compared to rivals, making it difficult to build rhythm and complete a clean flying lap in optimal conditions.
“It’s not too bad. Yesterday we were P1 so we would have liked to have been P1, but I think we had the worst track position of everyone there. We went out [as] the sixth team, so it was very hard to get a lap in, I think with five minutes to go I set my first [representative] lap. So, to be less than a tenth off pole with everything that went on in front of me, it’s not too bad.”
He also highlighted disruptions caused by incidents ahead of him on track, which further reduced his ability to maximise performance during peak track evolution.
“It’s really difficult [to find space on track] because I had a few people go off in front of me and the last lap I got impeded as well in the last sector. It’s really tough but I think I maximised what I could and it’s going to work in my favour eventually at the end of the year when we are a bit further forwards. We will see how it goes.”
Looking ahead to the races
In the latter part of his session review, O’Grady focused on race preparation and the importance of experience in managing Silverstone’s high-speed demands and tyre degradation. He stressed that a strong launch off the line would be crucial, particularly given the importance of staying within the leading group during the early stages of each race.
“I think the experience definitely helps. As long as we can get off the line well, we should be in the top three and then just trying to stay out of the dirty air is the main thing around here and not grain the front tyres up. Hopefully, my experience from last year will come in handy now.”
Tight margins in Qualifying set up competitive 2026 GB4 season opener
The opening GB4 Qualifying session at Silverstone delivered a highly competitive field, with Hilton initially leading the way before stewarding decisions reshaped the final classification.
Green emerged with a strong front-row start and clear potential for the races ahead, while O’Grady remained firmly in contention despite a disrupted session. Moreover, all three drivers demonstrated competitive pace within a narrow performance window, reinforcing how closely matched the field appears.
With margins consistently tight and multiple teams represented at the front, the stage is set for a highly unpredictable opening weekend where starts, consistency and tyre management will likely define the outcome.
