Luke Browning was very impressive on his Formula 2 debut in Azerbaijan, finishing in seventh place in the Feature Race.
The British driver was very quick throughout the weekend and narrowly missed out on the reverse grid pole position for the Sprint Race, qualifying in 11th place.
Browning stepped up to Formula 2 after a championship-challenging campaign in FIA F3, being given an opportunity to race in the final three rounds at the second tier of motorsport for ART.
The Williams Academy member drove well in a new car on a circuit he had never raced on before and battled in the midfield.
Speaking to the official Formula 2 website, he explained that before making his debut in Baku, he enjoys the idea of not having many expectations at the early stage of his F2 career.
Luke Browning is happy to be ‘not having the pressure’ in Formula 2
Browning started his Formula 2 career very well and he looked assured behind the wheel on a daunting track.
The Williams junior has been succesful on street circuits in his career, winning the Macau Grand Prix last season and standing on the podium at Monaco this season.
Stepping up to Formula 2 is a big jump with the car being much more powerful and the tyres being very different to any others further down the ladder.
READ MORE: Zane Maloney outlines the key ‘problem’ he faced last season that he’s ‘improved’ on this year in F2
Browning is pleased that ART haven’t put a lot of expectations on him and is hoping to prove a few people wrong.
He said: “The perception is that I have come here to learn and there are no expectations which I have not had for a long time. I like the idea of not having the pressure and just seeing what I can do, maybe we can surprise a few people.”
Luke Browning should be targeting a full season on Formula 2 in 2025
Browning improved a lot this season in FIA F3 after a difficult first campaign and has proven he can battle at the next level in Formula 2.
He was also competing against familiar drivers, such as Gabriele Mini, who was quick in F2 but felt he could have achieved more.
Formula 2 is the final step on the road to Formula 1 and Browning’s links to the Williams Formula 1 team could help him land a spot on the F1 grid in the future.