Browning reclaims factors lead with victory

Luke Browning transformed pole place into his second Formulation 3 win of the season to reclaim the factors lead with a managed drive within the Austrian function race.

The Williams Academy driver, racing for Hitech, saved away from the touring car-style battles raging behind him to win by 1.6s from Prema’s Gabriele Mini.

Having made a strong begin, Browning pulled away from the sector whereas third-placed starter Tim Tramnitz dropped like a stone having did not launch his MP Motorsport entry.

This allowed the Prema trio of Arvid Lindblad, Mini and Dino Beganovic to place themselves line astern behind Browning, though Lindblad would quickly drop again after the front-row starter was shovelled off the observe by MP Motorsport’s Alex Dunne on lap eight of 26.

Dunne was handed a time penalty for his bother, and he was joined on the naughty step by Tramnitz, Mari Boya (Campos) and Callum Voisin (Rodin) who have been additionally concerned in on-track incidents.

Nevertheless it was within the closing laps that an already thrilling race reached a climax, with the battle for second taking centre stage.

On the finish of lap 21, Beganovic demonstrated how arduous he was having to push with a view to maintain tempo with Browning, as he misplaced the rear and drifted by means of the ultimate nook – a transfer that allowed the race chief a couple of additional tenths of respiration room.

With three laps to go, the battle intensified with Mini’s tried transfer on Beganovic costing him a spot to ART Grand Prix’s Christian Mansell, earlier than the Alpine junior regained his place on the ultimate step of the rostrum across the outdoors of Flip 6.

The battle continued on the penultimate lap, and this time Mini was profitable in his assault on Beganovic, ready to finish the transfer at Flip 4.

The positions modified as soon as once more on the ultimate tour, when Beganovic moved again forward at Flip 3 earlier than in the end shedding second for one ultimate time at Flip 6.

The late battling allowed Browning to attain his first win for the reason that Bahrain season-opener unchallenged, as Mini and Beganovic accomplished the rostrum order.

Mansell ended up fourth after beginning eleventh, the Australian describing occasions as “the most effective race of my life” over workforce radio.

Browning now heads the standings on 106 factors from Mini, with Leonardo Fornaroli (Trident) dropping from first to 3rd after ending ninth and claiming solely two factors. Beganovic is 26 factors off the lead, with solely 4 weekends remaining.

F3 Austria Characteristic Race Outcomes

1	L. Browning Hitech Pulse-Eight	14		26
2	G. Minì Prema Powerteam	2		26		1.600
3	D. Beganovic Prema Powerteam	1		26		0.500
4	C. Mansell ART Grand Prix	23		26		0.400
5	O. Goethe Campos Racing	10		26		0.600
6	N. Tsolov ART Grand Prix	25		26		4.000
7	A. Lindblad Prema Powerteam	3		26		0.700
8	L. Van ART Grand Prix	24		26		2.100
9	L. Fornaroli Trident	4		26		0.300
10	A. Dunne MP Motorsport	9		26		3.200
11	S. Flörsch Van Amersfoort Racing	21		26		0.400
12	M. Stenshorne Hitech Pulse-Eight	15		26		0.200
13	S. Ramos Trident	6		26		0.500
14	M. Zagazeta Jenzer Motorsport	19		26		3.400
15	T. Tramnitz MP Motorsport	7		26		0.400
16	Okay. Sztuka MP Motorsport	8		26		3.000
17	M. Esterson Jenzer Motorsport	18		26		0.900
18	M. Boya Campos Racing	12		26		1.700
19	P. Wiśnicki Rodin Motorsport	30		26		6.200
20	S. Meguetounif Trident	5		26		3.800
21	C. Shields Hitech Pulse-Eight	16		26		0.000
22	T. Smith Van Amersfoort Racing	22		26		7.900
23	N. León Van Amersfoort Racing	20		26		5.800
24	J. Loake Rodin Motorsport	31		26		13.000
25	C. Voisin Rodin Motorsport	29		26		16.000
26	T. Inthraphuvasak PHM AIX Racing	26		26		5.400
27	C. Wurz Jenzer Motorsport	17		25
dnf	N. Bedrin PHM AIX Racing	27		10						Retirement
dnf	J. Dufek PHM AIX Racing	28		5						Retirement
dnf	S. Montoya Campos Racing	11		5						Retirement