2022 GB3 champion Luke Browning has won the Macau Grand Prix, after a scintillating performance at the legendary Guia Circuit.
The British driver, competing for Hitech Pulse-Eight, took control of the event right from the off, as he capitalised on the pole position secured by winning yesterday’s Qualification Race.
Holding off the pack on the long run to Lisboa on the first lap, he then marched into the distance, setting the fastest lap in the process.
Having stretched his gap to over two seconds, the red flags were then shown after a heavy shunt for Paul Aron, which necessitated a stoppage of around half an hour.
Browning had it all to do again, and after a safety car restart, had to fend off the attentions of Gabriele Mini and Dennis Hauger, with the latter just edging ahead on the approach to Lisboa. Browning though, held the inside line and kept his position at the front.
Then, as he had done all weekend, he pulled away from the pack in the twisty middle sections of the lap to put him outside of DRS range. But ultimately it wasn’t to matter, as a crash late on the restart lap for Nikola Tsolov necessitated another safety car, and with insufficient time remaining to restart the race under green flag conditions, Browning took the chequered flag to claim victory at the 70th Macau Grand Prix, and lift the FIA Formula 3 World Cup.
In the process, the Cheshire-based driver joins drivers including Riccardo Patrese, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher as a winner of one of the world’s most iconic contests.
Browning's fellow GB3 alumni Tommy Smith, Christian Mansell and Max Esterson were 14th, 16th and 20th respectively, while yesterday's podium-finisher Alex Dunne crashed out of the race at Lisboa on lap one, whilst challenging for the lead.