Reigning GB3 Champion Luke Browning enjoyed his best FIA Formula 3 weekend yet, as he just missed out on a first podium finish on the famous streets of Monte Carlo.
On his first visit to the legendary Armco-lined Monaco circuit, he put in a starring performance for Hitech Pulse-Eight, setting the second fastest time in his qualifying group, missing out on topping it by just three thousandths of a second. With his group being slightly slower than the Group B runners, his second fastest session time put him fourth on the grid for the main Feature Race on Sunday.
Before that came the Sprint Race on Saturday, with the top-12 reversed on the grid, meaning Browning started from ninth. On the notoriously difficult circuit to overtake, the newly inducted Williams Academy member managed to pass Caio Collet on the blast to St Devote on the first lap, and held the position until the chequered flag, finishing just six tenths of a second behind Sebastian Montoya.
Starting fourth on the grid for the longer Feature Race, he retained that position at the start, and hassled Paul Aron in third place for the entire contest. Even though he was unable to overtake on the narrow streets, he showed his intent by finishing just three tenths back from his rival, setting the second fastest lap of the race, with his best lap being almost a second faster than Aron’s.
“I think we got unlucky getting picked for Group A in qualifying and then missing out on that group’s pole by three thousandths, which would have been P2,” said Browning. “Obviously then it’s difficult starting P4 to make positions. The pace was just incredible in qualifying considering that we didn’t manage to finish that fourth lap, which was where all the quick times were being done.
“I was super gutted, but still that was my first time qualifying in Monaco and when I look down the grid, there’s not many people that managed to do what we managed to do this weekend considering my experience. I’m super happy with the result and then we missed out on the fastest lap by seven thousandths in the feature race.
“The thousandths didn’t go my way this time, but the pace is super promising. I think we showed in Bahrain and Melbourne just how the pace could be, but we got a lot of bad luck. Sometimes some rookie mistakes crept in, but it looks like the experience is kicking in now and whilst we’re on the wrong side of the thousandths this time, next time I don’t think we will be.”
Browning sits seventh in the championship standings, having taken four top-eight finishes in the first six races of the season. The FIA F3 season resumes at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya this weekend.