2025 marked Luke Browning’s first and only full season in Formula 2. The rookie had an outstanding season, where he was in the Championship fight early on. The Brit finished his season fourth in the Drivers’ Standings with 162 points.
Before his season in Formula 2, Browning began his journey in car racing, moving from saloon cars to British single-seaters. He spent three years in saloon car racing before stepping up to F4, where he finished his maiden campaign sixth. His second year in F4 saw him rocket to the title. The next year was busy for the Brit, as he took part in the GB3 Championship, the Drexler Automotive Formula 4 Cup, ADAC Formula 4, and the Italian F3 Championship. The following year he won the GB3 Championship. In 2023, Browning stepped up to Formula 3 with Hitech before winning the Macau F3 World Cup later that year. After two years in Formula 3, he stepped up to Formula 2, sticking with the Hitech team. He has been a part of the Williams Driver Academy since 2023 and was announced as the F1 team’s reserve driver earlier this year.
Impressive start to the F2 season for Browning
The Brit began the season on a high, qualifying third for the Sprint in Melbourne and placing eighth in the Feature Race. In the first Sprint, Browning defended his position and finished on the podium. As the Feature Race was cancelled due to the poor weather, the Hitech driver did not have the chance for a repeat performance.
The next round in Bahrain got off to a positive start, with free practice and qualifying going well, putting him on the second row for the Feature Race. The Sprint Race was fruitless for the racer, and he finished 10th without points. By contrast, the Feature Race saw him storm to another podium finish. Browning got his elbows out, putting up a fight to climb through the field. He took the chequered flag in second and secured another point finish for Hitech.
Jeddah marked the first weekend without a podium for the Brit. The Williams Reserve Driver qualified fourth, placing him seventh on the reserve grid for the Sprint Race. After a poor launch off the line, Browning tumbled down to ninth and failed to score any points. What had been a poor weekend turned around in the Feature Race, as he managed to finish sixth. Browning showed he is not afraid to go all in, getting his elbows out, and displayed brilliant defensive skills. Despite a rough weekend, the Brit still came away with points.
Triple header drama for Browning
Next was Imola, where Browning continued to impress. After qualifying seventh, he began the Sprint Race in fourth place. He gained a position to move into third and secure another podium finish. The Feature Race was even more impressive for the Williams Reserve Driver, as he began seventh but fought his way through the field. Showing immense skill, Browning stormed to another second-place finish. Still, the hunger for victory continued to follow him.
The triple header continued on the legendary Monte Carlo streets. Although he qualified ninth, it put him well placed for the Sprint Race, as he was set to start from second place. The narrow streets of Monaco offer little room for error and make overtaking difficult. Browning eventually lost one place, which still left him with another podium finish as he stood on the third step. During the Feature Race, luck and precision were on his side as he managed to avoid the crash between Alex Dunne and Victor Martins ahead of him, which left many in the field with major damage. He stormed another five positions ahead, and although he missed out on the podium, he finished fourth, bringing home solid points. The final part of the triple header left Browning disappointed as he took sixth in the Sprint and 20th in the Feature Race.
Spielberg started out rough for the Brit with a P17 in Qualifying around the Red Bull Ring. The Sprint Race was no better. Lap 2 featured a dramatic incident involving Browning, Arvid Lindblad, and Sami Meguetounif, as Meguetounif attempted a bold move to overtake the cars ahead. His car rolled over Browning’s Hitech into Turn 3 while the halo saved the drivers from injury. The dangerous incident ended with the drivers involved being forced to retire from the Sprint. Despite the bad weekend, Browning managed to make it better in the Feature Race where he grabbed a P5 finish.
Bouncing back
Next came the Brit’s home race weekend at Silverstone. After qualifying P12, he had to fight hard to earn points. The Sprint Race displayed Browning’s wheel-to-wheel racing, overtaking skills, and his refusal to back down from a duel. He managed to climb into the points with a P7 finish. Similarly, the Feature Race showed the then Hitech driver’s ability to bounce back after tough weekends. After making his way through the field and gaining nine positions, Browning was back on the podium with a P3 finish at his home race.
The Belgian GP weekend saw Browning start from P12 and climb through the field. However, the Sprint Race brought another retirement after contact with Jak Crawford and Richard Verschoor at the start. The Feature Race saw another strong recovery, with the driver finishing P3 after post-race penalties. This was his seventh podium of the season. In Budapest, he lined up seventh on the grid for the Sprint and fourth for the Feature. He secured P5 in the Sprint and another P4 finish in the Feature, narrowly missing out on another podium. However, after post-race penalties, Browning was dropped to P12 after a five-second penalty was applied for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Highs and lows in F2
Then came the Monza weekend. After struggling with lower-than-usual results and unfortunate moments, the Italian GP weekend proved a breakthrough. From Free Practice onwards, the driver looked immensely strong. He secured his maiden pole position with a brilliant lap of 1:32.390. The Sprint Race saw him finish P8. The Feature Race saw an outstanding performance from the Williams Reserve Driver. From a quick start off the line to staying composed amid the chaos, Browning controlled the race and finally claimed his first F2 victory of the season.
Similarly, Baku began on a positive note for the racer. After claiming his maiden victory the previous race weekend, Baku saw him back on the podium with a P2 finish in the Sprint. The weekend was incredible for Hitech, securing a 1-2 for the team. The frantic weekend ended on a sour note for Browning, as rookie mistakes in the Feature Race ultimately left him in P19. Next was Qatar, which became a weekend to forget. The penultimate round saw him line up 18th on the grid, making it a difficult task to move up the field. He ended the weekend with a P17 in the Sprint and a P10 in the Feature Race. The last round of the Championship was in Abu Dhabi. The Yas Marina Circuit proved tough as a tough moment in the F2 season for Browning, as he qualified P17, finished the Sprint in P20, and the Feature in P14.
Overall, Browning’s F2 season has been one of consistency, skill, and standout moments. The driver showed several moments of brilliance and proved the importance of consistency in Formula 2.
