Luke wraps up top three championship finish with double podium

Rising star Luke Browning wrapped up a top three finish in the 2021 ADAC F4 Championship standings after a double podium finish in the season finale at the Nuburgring.

The Cheshire-based racer qualified in fourth place for the opening race of the weekend and fifth for race two, leaving him optimistic about his chances of fighting for silverware in the season finale.

Race one wouldn’t go to plan for the talented youngster however as he was forced to retire for the first time this season, with damage to the front wing seeing him go off into the gravel – leaving him with a watching brief trackside as the race drew to a close.

Keen to make amends in race two, which was shortened due to poor weather conditions that would delay the start of Sunday’s racing action, the US Racing driver was in his element as he stormed his way forwards from fifth to fight for the podium positions.

Once into the top three, Luke chased down Josh Dufek before a fine pass saw him grab second spot, which is where he would remain to the finish.

Seventh on the grid for the finale – which again featured a reverse grid element – Luke once again fought his way through the pack in fine style and grabbed a place on the podium when he nipped past squabbling pair Robert de Haan and Oliver Bearman.

Luke then saw off the challenge of champion elect Bearman in the final laps to end the year with an eighth podium of the campaign.

That ensured a top three championship finish at the end of his first year of European competition, with focus now turning towards the 2022 campaign.

Luke secures second win of ADAC F4 campaign

Rising star Luke Browning recovered from a tough start to the weekend at Hockenheim to secure a second win of the ADAC F4 Championship season.

The Cheshire-based racer headed into the fifth meeting of the campaign on the back of a double podium finish at the Sachsenring, with the Brit eager to try and fight for a second win of the year.

Having been off the pace in practice due to a front wing issue, Luke qualified in fifth place on the grid for race one in his US Racing-run car, and then went one better in qualifying two to secure fourth place on the grid for race two.

Embroiled in the battle for the leading positions in race one, Luke would take the chequered flag in third spot although a post-race penalty for a clash with Joshua Dufek would drop him back to fifth spot.

Having scored the same result in race two, Luke lined up fourth on the grid for the finale and wasted little time in making his way to the front, taking advantage of an error by Sami Meguetounif to secure the race lead.

Despite huge pressure from Dufek, Luke held on at the front to take win number two of his German campaign to cement his position inside the top three in the standings with one round left to run.

Luke maintains title challenge at the Sachsenring

Rising star Luke Browning maintained his bid for the 2021 ADAC Formula 4 title as the series headed for the Sachenring for the latest three races of the campaign.

The US Racing driver was looking to keep the pressure on Oliver Bearman and team-mate Tim Tramnitz in the points having scored a double podium in the previous event at Hockenheim.

Luke would secure third place on the grid for the opening race of the weekend and when one better in qualifying for race two to earn a place on the front row.

The first race of the weekend would see Luke embroiled in a race long fight for second with Bearman that ended up with him crossing the line in third spot – right on the tail of his rival having posted the fastest lap.

Luke then hit the front at the start of race two to get ahead of team-mate Tramnitz but a small error allowed the German racer to nip back ahead; Luke following him home to give the team a 1-2 finish as he took his second podium of the weekend.

Seventh on the grid for the reverse grid final race, Luke saw his hopes of a third podium finish go when he was involved in contact with Victor Bernier as he tried to come through the pack, which limited him to a seventh place finish.

Luke remains third in the standings ahead of the return to Hockenheim later this month.

Luke takes double podium at Hockenheim

Rising star Luke Browning enjoyed a successful weekend at Hockenheim as his ADAC F4 Championship season got back underway.

The third meeting of the season had been delayed due to the impact of devastating floods that hit Europe during the summer, which resulted in the 2021 calendar being revised.

Luke headed to the famous German circuit looking to return the podium after a tricky weekend at Zandvoort during round two back in July, but with confidence boosted by a race-winning guest outing in the GB3 Championship.

Having shown top six pace in both free practice sessions, Luke qualified just a tenth of a second off pole to secure fourth on the grid for race one and then secured fifth spot on the grid for race two.

The opening race of the weekend saw Luke dicing for position throughout with US Racing team-mates Alex Dunne and Tim Tramnitz before he secured third place, and a strong start to race two saw Luke work his way to the front in the early laps as Oliver Bearman and Tramnitz squabbled for the lead and Luke took advantage to nip ahead.

Tramnitz and Dunne would both manage to get ahead of Luke before the finish as the team-mates locked out the podium, with that result leaving Luke sixth on the reverse grid for race three.

Staying out of trouble, Luke was able to work his way up to sixth spot at the finish, with his results across the weekend enabling the Cheshire-based racer to climb to third in the standings ahead of the next round at the Sachsenring in early October.

Luke celebrates British return with Oulton Park victory

Rising star Luke Browning enjoyed a successful return to action on British soil with victory on his guest outing in the GB3 Championship in association with the BRDC.

Luke rejoined Fortec Motorsport – the team that carried him to the British F4 title last season – for the latest rounds of the GB3 campaign, which took place at his home circuit of Oulton Park.

Despite the fact that he had only limited experience of the GB3 car from testing over the winter, Luke was up to speed from the outset in pre-event testing, and went into qualifying confident of pushing towards the sharp end of the grid.

Luke duly qualified second on the grid for the opening race, with his second best time ensuring he would start from the same position on the grid for race two.

The opening race would see Luke run in second place throughout as he kicked off the weekend with a podium finish, only to then lose the result when he was excluded for a non performance-enhancing technical infringement.

Keen to make amends in race two, Luke produced a stunning move on championship leader Zak O’Sullivan at the start – going round the outside at Old Hall to secure the inside line for the run to Cascades, where he slid into the lead.

Luke would lead the way through to the tenth lap when O’Sullivan tried to get ahead at Hislops, with his rival running off-track when they went wheel-to-wheel into the corner. Luke was able to continue in the lead with Roberto Faria behind in second, but a tap from his team-mate then resulted in Luke spinning going through turn one.

Avoiding the barriers, Luke rejoined the field but the action was then halted as a result of the stricken cars on both Faria and O’Sullivan on the side of the circuit.

As per championship regulations, the result would be taken back a lap and was confirmed as at the end of lap ten, meaning Luke was declared as the race winner.

Heavy rain arrived before the start of race three and a fine start saw Luke rocket up six places into the top ten within half a lap.

However, any hope Luke had of a second win of weekend would be ended on the exit of the hairpin when contact from Bart Horsten tipped him into a spin, with the resultant damage to a rear wheel forcing Luke back into the pits to retire.

“It was great to rejoin the Fortec family for a weekend at Oulton Park; it was like I’d never been away!” he said. “There was no pressure on me this weekend, so to come in with only a single day of testing and secure a win is really pleasing.

“I certainly think we deserved more from the other two races as the pace across the whole weekend was really strong, and credit has to go to the team for providing me with such a great car.

“After taking the win, I was really looking forward to race three as I love racing in the wet and I got a mega start to jump into the top ten – even though the spray meant people watching on couldn’t really see it!

“It’s a shame that some contact put me out because even though it was a reverse grid, I definitely think we’d have been right in the mix at the front!”

Luke now turns his focus back to the ADAC F4 Championship, with his campaign in Germany getting back underway this weekend at Hockenheim.

Luke returns to British soil with GB3 guest outing

Rising star Luke Browning will make his return to British soil this weekend after securing a guest drive in his home round of the GB3 Championship in association with the BRDC.

The one-off outing at Oulton Park – located less than ten miles away from the family home in Kingsley – will be Luke’s first race outing in the UK since the 2020 British F4 season finale at Brands Hatch back in November.

There, on one of the most dramatic weekends in recent memory, Luke was able to wrap up the championship title with the highest points-per-race tally in series history – securing top honours by just four points.

His return to the UK this weekend will come with the same Fortec Motorsport team that carried him to the British F4 crown, with the BRDC Rising Star being given the call to compete in Cheshire as the team seeks to cement its top three position in the championship standings.

Luke has enjoyed plenty of success at Oulton Park in the past, taking a race win during his time in the Ginetta Junior Championship before a stunning hat-trick last year en-route to his F4 crown.

Although he has no prior experience of racing the GB3 car, Luke tested with Fortec over the winter whilst evaluating his options for 2021 and will get back behind the wheel for pre-event testing ahead of the three-race weekend.

Luke’s participation in the event has been made possible by a break in his programme in the ADAC F4 Championship, where he is competing with the US Racing team headed by former F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher and ex-Audi DTM boss Gerhard Ungar.

The talented teenager secured a win on his debut in the series at the Red Bull Ring having previously scored a podium finish on a guest outing in the Italian F4 series at Paul Ricard, and sits fifth in the championship standings ahead of the resumption of the season at Hockenheim later this month.

“With my programme this season being overseas, it’s great to have the chance to ‘come home’ for a weekend and join the GB3 grid at Oulton Park,” he said. “As my home circuit, I’m looking forward to having plenty of support from my family and friends and it would be great if I was able to add to the success I’ve enjoyed there racing in the past.

“It’s even more special that this chance has come along with Fortec after our title-winning campaign last season, and it makes the whole weekend a lot easier because I know everyone in the team and can slot back in like I’ve never been away.

“Although I’ve not raced the car this season, I’m not going into the weekend just to make up the numbers and I want to be fighting for the win! I’m sure that the team will give me a car that is capable of fighting at the front and with a day of testing to get back up to speed, I’m confident that I can make the most of this opportunity and support the team with its championship bid.”