Luke Browning led the F2 FP session at the Hungarian GP, with a 1:30.609. The William’s junior beating MP’s Ollie Goethe and Rodin’s Alex Dunne to the top spot in the session.
The final F2 round before summer break was underway at Hungaroring in Budapest. With 12 points covering the top five in the championship, everything is still to fight for.
Hungary offers very different conditions to the rain-soaked weekend before in Spa. Alex Dunne will no doubt be looking for retribution for his penalty, demoting him from the win in the Feature Race.
As the session was green flagged, many of the front-runners wasted no time making their way out on track. However, there was almost immediately a yellow flag waved, as Ritomo Miyata stopped on the side of the track.
A red flag was brought out as marshals moved on track to remove the ART.
Session resumed
The session was green flagged as the time in the session ticked down with just 32 minutes remaining. Arvid Lindblad was one of the first drivers to head out of the pits and around Hungaroring. The Red Bull Junior also looking for redemption for his disqualification.
Lindblad crossed the line fastest in his first push lap, with a 1:35.308. However, it was short-lived as the times rapidly fell. Roman Stanek continued with the form he showed in Spa taking the top spot with a 1:32.528.
Dunne took two tenths out of Stanek’s time, with a 1:32.306. The track progression was ramping up as each driver to cross the line went faster than the last.
The MP duo took 1-2 with Goethe leading the duo with a 1:31.139. Behind it was a PREMA 3-4 rounding out the top four, with Gabriele Minì leading the two. The margins were fine, with everything subject to change with each lap.
Ollie Goethe took another step, going faster still, breaking into the 1:30s. As the Red Bull Junior crossed the line with a 1:30.753.
Verschoor slid in again behind his teammate, with the Invicta duo close behind in third and fourth. However, Alex Dunne and Victor Martins were both on push laps, eying up the top spots.
Final 15 minutes
Victor Martins slipped into second with a 1:30.994, but he was still 0.252 seconds off the pace of Ollie Goethe in front. Dino Beganovic crossed the line third, with half a second covering the top eight drivers.
Many drivers dove into the pits, as the time ticked down and ten minutes remained in the session. The top four all changed their tyres before making their way back out on track, making the most of their limited running around the Hungaroring.
Turn 1 seemed to be the biggest challenge for drivers, with many drivers up and down the grid locking up heavily into the first corner.
Alex Dunne took his McLaren liveried Rodin car on track, looking to take time out of Ollie Goethe’s lead. However, as he crossed the line he was 0.169 seconds behind the Red Bull Junior in second place.
Luke Browning moved ahead of Alex Dunne, crossing the line with a 1:30.911. Further behind Gabriele Minì was on an impressive flying lap, with a purple first sector. His second sector was messier, as he failed to improve as he crossed the line.
With just under a minute remaining, drivers went out on their final runs. Alex Dunne took a purple first sector while Luke Browning ahead took a purple second sector.
Browning crossed the line to go fastest, with a 1:30.609. Dunne following just 0.3 tenths behind in third with a messy middle sector.
The chequered flag was waved with Browning topping the times with a 1:30.609, followed by MP’s Ollie Goethe, and Rodin’s Alex Dunne.
Full Results:
- L. Browning
- O. Goethe
- A. Dunne
- R. Stanek
- J. Durksen
- V. Martins
- A. Lindblad
- D. Beganovic
- R. Verschoor
- G. Minì
- J. Crawford
- L. Fornaroli
- K. Maini
- J. Martí
- A. Cordeel
- S. Meguetounif
- J. Bennett
- S. Montoya
- C. Shields
- R. Villagomez
- M. Esterson
- R. Miyata
