Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Luke Browning was delighted to qualify third for the Formula 2 round in Bahrain after driving for Williams in Formula 1 practice earlier in the day.
Browning was the fastest of six practice-only drivers called up to take part in Friday morning’s first session, going 13th fastest.
He was just ahead of his F2 team-mate Dino Beganovic, who was driving for Ferrari, with the Hitech GP pair the only ones performing double duty across the two series.
While Beganovic went on to qualify ninth, Browning came third and was quick to praise his team over the radio, hailing the “great learning from the test” in Sakhir last month.
“The adaptation was tough, hopping out of an F1 car straight into F2 is not easy,” Browning told media including Formula Scout afterwards.
“But yeah, I think we made the most of it today. And I think the other guys on the couch could probably vouch, it wasn’t easy today. Track conditions are a second and a half slower than expected. So I think it was very easy to make a mistake.
“I think my main goal was just to hit every apex, and, and we did that. So very happy with my lap today. And I think why I probably I was so excited over the radio is, I didn’t exactly expect to be here from testing. So, yeah, happy.”
Browning placed 16th of the 22 drivers on both one-lap and long-run pace in Formula Scout’s analysis of the in-season test, although he has more confidence in his race performance.
“Honestly, if you told me P3 at the start of the day, I’d have snapped your hand off. So we’re in a good place and our race pace looked good in the test, so let’s see.”
He added: “Depending on how you work the team, optimise it, get the most out of it – that’s what I’m so proud about with Hitech, is where we’ve come from, from the test with my limited experience. We were not in a good place and to come and qualify in the top three here after the FP1 performance, the adaptation is just amazing. Very happy.”
Pressed further on the steps made from the test, Browning said “not making a mistake when it really matters” was key: “And I think that’s what qualifying was all about today, and that’s exactly what we wanted to improve on. Coming from the test into this, just being faultless, pushing, and that’s what we’re really good at, is just pushing each other.
“We went from a 2023, a mid season, coming from British Formula 3, having never driven any of the circuits before, I qualified P16 here in Bahrain. And at the end of the year I won Macau.
“So it’s the progression is exactly what I’m good at, and that’s exactly what I’m going to continue to try and work on through the testing, in every session I have and in every opportunity with Hitech.”