Latest Episode | Cut To The Race Podcast
Luke Browning looks back on his dominant weekend at Macau and reveals his emotions behind the incredible win.
Rising young talent, Luke Browning, has made quite the impression on the racing world this season.
Earlier on in the year, the 2022 GB3 Champion, joined the Williams Driver Academy just a month after being confirmed as the newest driver to the FIA F3 grid.
However, one of his biggest achievements this year was the Macau Grand Prix weekend.
Returning for the first time since 2019 to the circuit, the race is considered as a leap for higher motorsport series, due to the notable list of drivers who have won in the past – including Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
The Brit was confirmed to be taking on the events 70th anniversary. Alongside him, a long list of young stars, including IndyCar pilot Marcus Armstrong and two-time Macau winner Dan Ticktum returned to the renowned event.
Browning was the star of the weekend producing a dominant performance throughout the weekend taking pole and then adding F3 World Cup champion to his name.
“For me, it felt really special, having never been to that side of the world before. Being so close to the barrier every lap is tough to stay concentrated, but we managed to pull it off.” Browning expressed to FormulaNerds on the red carpet for the Autosport Awards 2023.
“To be honest, we didn’t expect to go there and do amazing. Obviously, I knew the car was good, with [Juri] Vips getting pole there in 2019, but it was just a matter of doing the job, luckily we did it.”
Britain’s rising star
Browning took his remarkable win just a couple of weeks after testing a F1 car. As a prize for winning the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC award, the winner alongside a £200,000 cheque gets the opportunity to test a F1 car around Silverstone.
Continuing his conversation with FormulaNerds, Browning mentioned the experience he gained in the AMR21 gave him a substantial boost in his development:
“Aston Martin test was huge for my development and it’s probably what ultimately helped me in Macau. Once you’ve tried faster machinery, stepping back almost feels easier.”
“Once you’ve had a shock of an F1 car around Silverstone with Copse being flat and Maggots and Backetts being half a lift, Macau kinda felt like ‘well I’m doing it in a slower car but okay, the margins are fine.’ Once you’ve driven a F1 car everything else feels a little easier.”
It’s still not confirmed where Browning will be next season.
Featured image credits: Qian Jun/MB Media via Getty Images