Browning hails Hitech as “entirely new car” holds together for second in GB3 Race 2

Luke Browning took his fifth podium of the GB3 Championship season at Donington Park on Sunday morning, and re-took the Championship lead from third-placed Joel Granfors.

The pair retired from Race 1 as Granfors spun across the track exiting McLeans, forcing Browning to take avoiding action and sending him hard into the barrier.

The Checkered Flag spoke to the Hitech GP driver after the podium.

“The podium’s not too bad, it’s been a really tough weekend with luck.

“We had a couple of mechanical failures which caused big shunts [in testing], and I had to avoid a crash [on Saturday].”

He jumped over the gravel and had a hard landing before hitting the barrier, but the improved safety measures brought on by the all-new Tatuus MSV-022 meant Browning got out of the car uninjured.

“I’m fine, these things happen in motorsport, you get used to them.

“Unfortunately a few things were out of my control but it’s fine, I’m back on the podium in this race and, I think back in the lead of the Championship.”

Hitech had to run an entirely new car for Race 2; Browning admitted they were unsure where they would be after needing to make such a significant change mid-weekend.

“Literally a new car came in today so we were worrying about how it was going to work out. We went out without any conditioning in testing but it lasted.

“I’m not surprised it lasted, I’ve got a good team around me so big thanks to them.”

Browning took second, just seven tenths behind Max Esterson but 2.5 seconds ahead of Granfors, ensuring he enters the reverse-grid Race 3 with a two-point lead.

He entered the weekend three points behind after Granfors’ positive weekend at Silverstone, but the pair’s DNFs in Race 1 at Donington and a five-point swing in Race 2 helped him back up to the top.

“It’s early on in the Championship but it’s always good [to be leading].”

The 20-year-old will start Race 3 from P17 on the grid, recognising Donington will be “difficult [to overtake] for sure, it’s all about the first lap.

“But I’m feeling good, the reverse-grid will be tough, it has been in the past but we’ve always been able to overtake so it might be interesting.”