In what is only his first full season on the Formula 2 grid, Luke Browning is fighting for the Championship. Sitting in fourth in the Driver’s Standings at current, with 162 points. Despite being right in the battle, Browning believes he is yet to reach his full potential. He reflected on this in a post-race Press Conference attended by Pit Debrief.
Raw pace and the transition to F2
Browning made it clear just how different his junior career was to most drivers’. His move up to Formula 3 was a last minute deal, while most drivers predict the move and have time to prepare. Browning noted he didn’t “expect to be racing” at all. In 2022 Browning became GB3 Championship, leaving the series with no budget to continue racing.
Despite these challenges, the Brit jumped into the cockpit without testing, nor experience at any circuits on the calendar. Better yet, he ended the season with multiple podiums, and finished 15th overall. He acknowledged just how tough that was to do, comparing his experience to the challenges fellow F2 driver, John Bennett would be facing currently.
“Yeah so yeah I think that’s a great question. I mean it’s so there’s so many things that you learn along the way and especially in your junior career my path’s been very very different to a lot of people in terms of when I jumped in Formula 3 it was on a very last minute deal. I didn’t expect to be racing it full stop.
“I’d just come out of GB3 at the time with no budget, having done no testing or driving around any of the circuits. So that first season, turned up to the circuit very much like John is now. It’s really tough to do. Even so we had you know got podiums out of it as some really good results. And then you hop into your second year in Formula 3 and you take the step up to actually be the championship contender.“
Challenging others for the F3 title in just his second season was an experience he did not expect. His Championship contention came to a brutal end in the final round in Monza last year. Browning reflected on his process of overcoming this, having to review what went wrong, and moving past the depressing period.
The Brit acknowledged how lucky he is to be surrounded by people who can help him better his racing. This is both at his team at Hitech, and the driver academy with Williams. He feels as though he is “only getting stronger”, and getting up to speed with the Williams F1 car.
“I was actually had a look over the what happened last year at Monza. It was absolutely depressing but I look back at it coming into the championship only only six points behind and then you know I look at the things that could have happened throughout the season like Silverstone the sort of a 25 point swing there leading the race and it just it didn’t go our way but I think the point is the learning curve for me has been so steep and I think I’ve said it before but I’ve not hit my ceiling yet.
“I’ve been very lucky to be around people that can teach me especially at high-tech but also at Williams. You know having access to the driver programme has been massive for my development and I think yeah I’m only getting stronger. I’m finally up to speed now in the Formula 1 car having done some testing and that’s a whole new learning curve in itself.“
Browning plans to ride out his single-seater career as long as he can, learning from his experiences. A key lesson he learnt on his way into F2, is to make the most of every experience and opportunity. This includes utilising every bit of pace you can find.
The Hitech TGR machinery started the season incredibly strong, allowing Browning to gain a long string of podium finishes. Unfortunately, their performance fell off throughout the mid-part of the season, increasing again towards the final rounds. Browning remains focused and motivated to take the Championship this year. Especially after a heartbreaking loss of the F3 Championship last year.
“So yeah I’ll let it last as long as it can and I’m looking forward to going through the full course but I think that probably the main thing getting into Formula 2 was just making the most out of everything you have in terms of if you’ve not got the pace that day then get the most out of it you can.
“I’m just trying to do the best job that I can and I think that’s why you know we had a great car and I was driving really well at the start of the season getting I think it was like six or five podiums in a row and then a little bit of a fall off in the middle of the year but now we’re right back on track after really narrowly missing the podium last time out in Budapest.
“So yeah we’re ready to fight for the championship now and having lost it last year in Formula 3 at this late stage it’s really made me really made me motivated to want to take the step and smash it this year and win the championship.”
Looking five years in the future
When asked where he sees himself in five years time, he remained fairly realistic. The possibility of the step-up to Formula 1 is looking increasingly likely for Browning. He noted that it’s unlikely he would be an F1 Champion within five years. Even if he were to join F1 in 2026, he stated that a strong car, or Piastri-like talent is needed.
He also acknowledged that he has “got no fallback”, and Formula 1 remains the sole goal. The Brit is aware that the team at Atlassian Williams sees him worthy of F1. He explained that he wouldn’t be a part of their driver programme if they didn’t.
“Yeah I mean if you look at it realistically over a five year period you’ve got let’s say I win the championship this year. You’re in Formula 1 the next year or the year after. The likelihood of you becoming champion within the following three years unless you’ve got a pretty outstanding car is you’d have to be in Oscar Piastri and it all comes together. So I think for me it’s just I’ve got no fallback. Formula 1 is my goal and it’s been my dream since I was a kid. It’s where Williams see me. I wouldn’t be in the driver programme if they didn’t want to see me in Formula 1. So yeah that’s the absolute goal and the focus.”
