FEATURE RACE: Browning holds off Mansell for maiden F3 victory

Luke Browning took the first Feature Race win of the 2024 season, holding off ART Grand Prix’s Christian Mansell to claim his first Formula 3 race victory.

The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver took the lead from the start and kept his closest challenger at bay throughout, winning by just over a second in the end.

Tim Tramnitz made a late-race pass on Trident’s Sami Meguetounif to secure the final place on the podium for MP Motorsport.

AS IT HAPPENED

Dino Beganovic suffered a terrible start from pole, slow to getaway which left Browning free to surge into the lead. Beganovic baulked the momentum of PREMA Racing teammate Gabriele Minì behind him, allowing Meguetounif to steal a march and rise to second. Tramnitz was also a beneficiary, taking third in his MP Motorsport #7 car from seventh on the grid.

Minì’s poor start allowed Mansell and Santiago Ramos in the Trident to move through for fourth and fifth places on the opening lap.

The third Trident of Leonardo Fornaroli had dropped to eighth off the line but moved ahead of Nikola Tsolov out of Turn 3 on Lap 3 to move up one spot. Mansell was also on the move again, clearing Tramnitz with a late dive to the inside of T8 to take third position.

The Australian put the same move on Meguetounif into Turn 8 to battle through for second two laps later, able to clear the Frenchman into Turn 11. Tramnitz also looked to have a pass completed for third, but the Trident driver defended well to hold P3.

The fighting behind had allowed Browning to stretch his lead to 1.2s at the one-third mark, though that advantage slipped to half a second after Mansell regained DRS behind. Despite not having the drag reduction advantage, the Hitech driver was able to keep his pursuer at arm’s length heading into the second half of the Feature Race.

With 10 laps to go, the top eight drivers were tracking one another, separated by five seconds but within DRS range of the car ahead. A wide moment for Ramos at Turn 10 put him off the track, but the Mexican was able to keep Minì at bay to hold fifth. However, It did drop him out of the one-second window to Tramnitz in front.

Meguetounif had been close to Mansell, but he too ran wide at Turn 10, allowing Tramnitz to close in on the Frenchman with five laps to go. The MP driver made a move into Turn 1 on Lap 19, later on the brakes to take third position.

After defending for much of the race, Browning began to up his pace in the closing laps to extend his lead slowly but surely over Mansell by a few tenths per lap. The ART driver remained within a second but couldn’t deny the Williams Academy Driver the race win.

Tramnitz followed Browning and Mansell over the line to complete the podium in his first F3 Feature Race.

Meguetounif ended up fourth as the highest-placed Trident ahead of Ramos and Minì. Fornaroli, Arvid Lindblad, Alex Dunne and Oliver Goethe rounded out the points-paying positions and the top 10.

KEY QUOTE – Luke Browning, Hitech Pulse-Eight

“That’s the Feature Race win in Bahrain. Super happy, great job to the team and looking forward to Melbourne!”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

With Feature Race victory, Luke Browning takes an early lead in the Drivers’ Championship on 25 points. Tim Tramnitz is his closest challenger, just four points behind with 21 while Christian Mansell is third on 18. Leonardo Fornaroli is just behind on 15 while Sprint Race winner Arvid Lindblad is fifth after scoring in both races on his debut weekend, with 14 points to his name.

Trident head up the Teams’ Standings after scoring with all three cars in the Feature Race. The Italian team lead on 38 points ahead of ART Grand Prix on 35. Reigning Champions PREMA Racing open their 2024 account with 28 points, three clear of Hitech Pulse-Eight and five ahead of MP Motorsport in P5.

UP NEXT

There’s a short break between Rounds 1 and 2 before Formula 3 heads down under to Melbourne and Albert Park later this month. Catch the second race weekend of 2024 from March 22-24.