Browning's fairytale rise from racing a Saxo to an F1 follow look

Fairytales do occur, should you look onerous sufficient. From Junior Saloons in a humble Citroen Saxo in 2016, nobody may have guessed that, come December 2024, Luke Browning can be behind the wheel of a Williams Components 1 automotive in free follow on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He has arrived at that time via not solely sheer willpower in opposition to the monetary odds, however by being some of the thrilling younger British skills round – as evidenced by his profitable the 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award. It implies that, in addition to his function as a Williams protege, Browning undertakes his first full season in Components 2 this yr with Hitech GP – the identical group with which he received the 2022 GB3 crown and had a near-miss within the battle for F3 honours final yr.

Browning has lengthy been means underfunded in comparison with his friends, however… “The eyes are on the market from junior programmes and other people on the BRDC,” he stresses down a telephone line from a BRDC coaching camp on Lanzarote. “There’s lots of people consistently in search of expertise, and should you’ve acquired it, work onerous sufficient, prepare onerous sufficient and do sufficient time on the sim… The sim I feel now’s only a implausible strategy to get into it. In case you’re at the actual excessive stage of sim Esports, it’s attainable for that to switch over to actual life. The purpose just isn’t solely F1, however I feel it’s attainable to turn out to be knowledgeable racing driver from the background I’ve come from.”

Browning credit the religion of Richardson Racing, which ran him in Ginetta Junior in 2017-18 and his rookie British F4 marketing campaign in 2019, and Fortec Motorsport, with which he dramatically claimed the F4 crown in 2020 in opposition to much-better-funded opposition. “I’ve been very, very fortunate to satisfy and make the most people round me,” he acknowledges.

“The principle factor was simply listening, taking in as a lot data as I can, as a result of coming from the background I do I’ve not had the power to do the check days, I wasn’t probably the most ready, I wasn’t probably the most car-fit. However, should you encompass your self with individuals which can be clever and know the game rather well, it’s attainable. And that’s precisely what I did.

“I used to be very fortunate to virtually bump into these those that simply pushed me in the correct path every time. It began out in Richardson Racing, particularly with the unbelievable driver coach I had there, Kieran Vernon [an ex-Formula Palmer Audi and FRenault BARC ace], and Andy Richardson [team boss] particularly. They helped me out an unbelievable quantity. Kieran constructed my foundations, earlier than I then acquired picked up by Richard Dutton and absolutely the powerhouse of Fortec – what a group they usually completely propelled me onto the subsequent step in F4.”

Browning has come a great distance from his days racing a Junior Saloons Saxo in 2016

And it’s with the Hitech group of recent Alpine F1 chief Oliver Oakes that Browning has gone from power to power: “All of the sudden getting known as into Hitech was simply the most effective factor that occurred to my profession. Oli has now been given the chance to be Alpine principal, however he’s only a implausible supervisor. I can’t converse extremely sufficient about Oli to be sincere. I’m simply extremely grateful to him.”

In between Hitech and Fortec, a yr in German F4 in 2021 with the US Racing group of former Mercedes DTM chief Gerhard Ungar and Ralf Schumacher offered an schooling that had beforehand not been attainable. “It was a tricky factor to do, however a implausible studying expertise,” says Browning, who completed third in a sequence received by a sure Ollie Bearman. “It was my first time racing overseas – I didn’t do any European karting, I didn’t know what that European way of life was like. I actually thank Gerhard for that yr – he took me on like a son.”

“It was a little bit of a humorous feeling sat within the F1 automotive for the primary time in FP. It was virtually a sense of aid. It’s not that I’d made it, it’s that it was taking place and it’s attainable now” Luke Browning

After the F3 season had completed, Browning contested the ultimate three F2 rounds of 2024 with ART Grand Prix. First outing in Baku he definitely opened some eyes: “That was implausible, factors on my debut, we confirmed nice tempo there. I feel there was no cause why we couldn’t have been within the high 5 if every part had gone to plan. Qatar and Abu Dhabi have been only a little bit of a nightmare – points at totally different factors. Typically issues occur like that.”

The factor is, a few underwhelming occasions over 14 rounds – reasonably than three – wouldn’t be season-defining within the turbulent, unpredictable world of F2. “Completely, yeah,” agrees Browning. “The mindset could be very a lot that we are able to go in and win the championship this yr. We don’t take a look at it as a studying yr, particularly within the Hitech automotive. It’s arguably the most effective automotive on the grid.”

After which there’s F1. “It was a little bit of a humorous feeling sat within the F1 automotive for the primary time in FP,” displays Browning. “It was virtually a sense of aid. It’s not that I’d made it, it’s that it was taking place and it’s attainable now.” Simply proof, in case you have been doubting me, that it’s worthwhile to consider in fairytales.

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The Briton is now aiming to continue to impress in F2 this season