Browning sees off Granfors challenge to win GB3 Race 1 at Spa

Luke Browning took yet another win to aid his GB3 Championship title challenge in Race 1 at Circuit du Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday.

The Hitech GP driver started on pole, ahead of Joel Granfors and Max Esterson, with Cian Shields rounding out the second row.

Alex Connor, Callum Voisin, Nico Christodoulou and James Hedley came together exiting La Source on the opening lap, putting Christodoulou and Hedley out immediately and bringing out the safety car.

Before the safety car came out, though, Granfors was able to make the most of the slipstream down the Kemmel Straight to jump Browning into Les Combes and take the lead.

Connor pitted with front-right suspension damage at the end of Lap 1, falling to the back of the reduced 20-car field which followed the safety car through the endurance pitlane while Christodoulou’s Arden Motorsport car was recovered.

McKenzy Cresswell had enjoyed his best qualifying session of the season on Friday, but it went to waste as he lost his front wing exiting La Source at the restart on Lap 3.

Browning got back through for the lead at the same place Granfors took it from him two laps earlier, while Branden Oxley got down the inside of Shields into the Bus Stop chicane at the end of the lap.

Shields re-took the position at Les Combes, but forced Cresswell across the runoff and over the sausage kerb.

Browning went into the weekend hoping to extend his 11-point Championship lead, and wasted no time in breaking away from Granfors once he was through, setting the fastest lap on Lap 5.

As expected, all the overtaking opportunities came at La Source, Les Combes and the Bus Stop, with most of the midfield squabbling for the entire race.

Tom Lebbon had a huge lock-up into Les Combes while defending from Javier Sagrera, running across the run-off.

Browning held on to win by six seconds ahead of Granfors and Branden Oxley, who inherited the podium thanks to a track limits penalty for Cian Shields, with Max Esterson and Lebbon rounding out the top five.

GB3 Spa-Francorchamps Race 1 Results: