The fairytale rise from racing a Saxo to an F1 practice appearance

Fairytales do occur, if you happen to 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 Formulation 1 automobile in free apply on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He has arrived at that time by means of not solely sheer dedication towards the monetary odds, however by being one of the thrilling younger British skills round – as evidenced by his successful the 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award. It signifies that, in addition to his function as a Williams protege, Browning undertakes his first full season in Formulation 2 this 12 months with Hitech GP – the identical staff with which he received the 2022 GB3 crown and had a near-miss within the combat for F3 honours final 12 months.

Browning has lengthy been approach underfunded in comparison with his friends, however… “The eyes are on the market from junior programmes and folks on the BRDC,” he stresses down a cellphone line from a BRDC coaching camp on Lanzarote. “There’s lots of people always searching for expertise, and if you happen to’ve obtained it, work onerous sufficient, prepare onerous sufficient and do sufficient time on the sim… The sim I feel now could be only a unbelievable strategy to get into it. When you’re at the true excessive stage of sim Esports, it’s doable for that to switch over to actual life. The aim just isn’t solely F1, however I feel it’s doable 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 towards much-better-funded opposition. “I’ve been very, very fortunate to fulfill 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 flexibility to do the take a look at days, I wasn’t probably the most ready, I wasn’t probably the most car-fit. However, if you happen to encompass your self with folks which are clever and know the game very well, it’s doable. And that’s precisely what I did.

“I used to be very fortunate to nearly encounter these folks that simply pushed me in the correct route every time. It began out in Richardson Racing, particularly with the unimaginable 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 unimaginable quantity. Kieran constructed my foundations, earlier than I then obtained picked up by Richard Dutton and absolutely the powerhouse of Fortec – what a staff they usually completely propelled me onto the following step in F4.”

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And it’s with the Hitech staff of recent Alpine F1 chief Oliver Oakes that Browning has gone from energy to energy: “Immediately getting referred to 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 unbelievable supervisor. I can’t communicate extremely sufficient about Oli to be sincere. I’m simply extremely grateful to him.”

In between Hitech and Fortec, a 12 months in German F4 in 2021 with the US Racing staff of former Mercedes DTM chief Gerhard Ungar and Ralf Schumacher offered an schooling that had beforehand not been doable. “It was a tricky factor to do, however a unbelievable studying expertise,” says Browning, who completed third in a collection 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 life-style was like. I actually thank Gerhard for that 12 months – he took me on like a son.”

“It was a little bit of a humorous feeling sat within the F1 automobile for the primary time in FP. It was nearly a sense of aid. It’s not that I’d made it, it’s that it was occurring and it’s doable now” Luke Browning

After the F3 season had completed, Browning contested the ultimate three F2 rounds of 2024 with ART Grand Prix. First day trip in Baku he actually opened some eyes: “That was unbelievable, factors on my debut, we confirmed nice tempo there. I feel there was no purpose why we couldn’t have been within the prime 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. Generally issues occur like that.”

The factor is, a few underwhelming occasions over 14 rounds – slightly 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 12 months. We don’t have a look at it as a studying 12 months, particularly within the Hitech automobile. It’s arguably the most effective automobile on the grid.”

After which there’s F1. “It was a little bit of a humorous feeling sat within the F1 automobile for the primary time in FP,” displays Browning. “It was nearly a sense of aid. It’s not that I’d made it, it’s that it was occurring and it’s doable 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 proceed to impress in F2 this season

Photograph by: James Sutton / Motorsport Photos