Browning returns to top after chaotic race win

Luke Browning claimed his second Formula 3 victory of the season within the feature race in Austria to once more take the highest spot in the general standings.

The Williams Academy driver, racing for Hitech, drove his automotive in a controlled manner as fierce touring car-style duels took place behind him.

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After a solid start, Browning moved ahead of the pack, while third-placed Tim Tramnitz dropped like a stone after his MP Motorsport team suffered a poor start.

This allowed the Prema trio of Arvid Lindblad, Gabriele Mini and Dino Beganovic to line up behind Browning, although the previous soon fell off the track after being pushed off by MP Motorsport's Alex Dunne on the eighth of 26 laps.

Dunne received a time penalty for his offence and was joined by Tramnitz, Mari Boya (Campos) and Callum Voisin (Rodin) who were also involved in incidents on target.

However, it was in the ultimate laps that the race reached its climax, with the major attraction becoming the battle for second place.

Towards the top of lap 21, Beganović showed just how hard he needed to push to maintain up with Browning, losing the rear and sliding around the ultimate corner – a move that gave the race leader a number of tenths of additional respiratory room.

With three laps to go the fight became more intense because the Mini tried to pass Beganovic but lost to Mansel before regaining the position on the last step of the rostrum, just outside Turn Six.

The fight continued on the penultimate lap, this time the Mini successfully attacked Beganovic and this time waited for the manoeuvre to be accomplished on turn 4.

However, on the ultimate lap the positions modified again, with Beganović regaining the lead at turn three, only to lose second place for the ultimate time at turn six.

Thanks to some late fighting, Browning broke free and won by 1.6 seconds, returning to the highest of the rostrum.

After a detailed race, Mini and Beganovic finished on the rostrum, with Mansell unlucky in fourth – although the Australian described the race, which he began from eleventh on the grid, as “the best race of my life” in a team radio interview.

Browning now leads the standings with 106 points for his Mini, while Leonardo Fornaroli (Trident) dropped from first to 3rd after ending ninth and scoring just two points. Beganovic is now 26 points behind the leader with just 4 weekends remaining.

1	L. Browneng Hitech Pulse-Eight	14		26
2	G. Minì According to Powerteam	2		26		1,600
3	D. Beganovic According to Powerteam	1		26		0.500
4	C. Mansell ART Grand Prix	23		26		0.400
5	O. Goethe Campos Races	10		26		0.600
6	N. Colov ART Grand Prix	25		26		4.000
7	A. Lindblad According to 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	K. Art MP Motorsport	8		26		3.000
17	M.Esterson Jenzer Motorsport	18		26		0.900
18	M.Dye Campos Races	12		26		1,700
19	P. Wisnicki Rodin Motorsport	thirty		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. Leon Van Amersfoort Racing	20		26		5,800
24	J. Locke Rodin Motorsport	31		26		13,000
25	C. Neighbor Rodin Motorsport	29		26		16,000
26	T. Inthrapuvasak PHM AIX Racing	26		26		5.400
27	C. Root Jenzer Motorsport	17		25
don’t move	N. Bedrina PHM AIX Racing	27		10						Pension
don’t move	J. Dufka PHM AIX Racing	28		5						Pension
don’t move	S. Montoya Campos Races	11		5						Pension