A seventh F2 podium for Luke, Dino makes it a double points finish
Round 8 - Silverstone - Report
Luke Browning claimed a dream home Podium in today’s Formula 2 Feature Race at Silverstone, rising nine places from his P12 grid slot to P3 in the trickiest of wet conditions. His team-mate Dino Beganovic had a similarly strong race, powering his way from eighth on the grid to fourth position, completing the team’s second double points finish in as many rounds.
Today’s 29-lap race at the home of the British Grand Prix saw a dramatic change in the weather versus yesterday’s Sprint Race and Friday’s Practice and Qualifying, all of which had seen Silverstone and the legions of dedicated fans basking in a great British summer heatwave. A torrential downpour, which had curtailed this morning’s F3 race, continued into the F2 Feature, making the Wet tyre a prerequisite to cope with the slippery conditions.
Luke continued to do battle with Lindblad, as was the case in the Sprint, and they went side by side through Stowe on Lap 2, the Williams Academy member taking P8 with a switchback at Vale. His Hitech teammate followed suit on the next lap at Turn 4.
Lap 4 saw Luke continue his charge through the field, taking Verschoor on the inside at Copse, while Dino surged past the Dutchman at the final corner.
The Hitech duo were on a roll and one lap later they each displaced Montoya, Luke in a switchback at Turn 4, easing him into sixth, and Dino a few corners later to take fifth.
When Stanek ran wide into Copse, Luke was ready to pounce, seizing fourth place, and Dino once again followed suit a few corners later at Vale to move into sixth.
The pair set about Durksen ahead and Luke went up the inside of Luffield to move into fourth place, Dino in tow. When DRS was enabled as the sun final started to break through on Lap 15, the Briton was able to close within range of Martins, and finally made it past his fellow Williams junior around the outside at Luffield on Lap 18.
From third, Luke pitted for a second set of the Wet tyres, after which a VSC slowed the field. When it turned into a full Safety Car on Lap 25, Dino seized his moment to pit for another set of Wets.
The race finished under a further Safety Car, deployed for a spinner as the rain began to fall once more. Luke took a Podium with P3, while Dino followed in P4.
Luke Browning:
“P3 in the Feature Race today. A bit of a climb from P12, so I'm happy with the result. The team did great! Slightly bitter sweet, because if we'd have done a better job in Qualifying, we could have won the race today, but I'm happy to take the points. Onwards we go and I'm looking forward to the second half of the season.”
Earlier in the weekend, the pair had a more challenging Sprint Race to finish 12th and 18th for Luke and Dino respectively, while the Ferrari Academy driver enjoyed a strong qualifying to P8 and lined up in P3 for the Sprint and P8 for the Feature Race, his teammate starting both races from P12.
Hitech is now just a point adrift of third place in the Teams’ Standings, and with only 12 points to make up in order to recover the lead.
In the Drivers’ Standings, Luke sits in P5 and Dino P10.
There’s a short break in the action before the drivers return to the track for Round 9 at Spa-Francorchamps from 25-27 July.