Luke Browning has revealed that Sprint Races are the main aspect of his title challenge that has let him down in FIA F3.
The British driver sits third in the standings, just six points behind the championship leader, Leonardo Fornaroli.
Browning has taken a significant step forward this season after a difficult rookie campaign last year, during which he was underprepared and had minimal testing in Formula 3.
He suffered a slightly difficult weekend last time out at Spa-Francorchamps, failing to stand on the podium, scoring no points in the Sprint Race.
Luke Browning believes Sprint Races have been costly over the year
Browning has been blisteringly fast during his second season in FIA F3, building on the breakthrough moment he enjoyed last year, winning the Macau Grand Prix.
The Sprint Race, which is the event that awards fewer points than the Feature Race, has proven tricky for the 2022 GB3 champion.
He hasn’t stood on the podium in the first race of any weekend so far this season and has a best finish of eighth place at Monaco and Hungary.
By contrast, the Hitech driver has been consistently at the front in Feature Races, taking victory in Bahrain and Austria.
Browning told the FIA F3 website that Sprint Races have cost him points, but he has been a contender in most of the Feature Races.
He said: “We have been so fast this year, especially in Qualifying, the Feature Races as well, I think the first six Feature Races we weren’t outside the top six, which is exactly what it is about.
“I think the Sprint Races have let us down this year. These fine margins make the difference. We look back to Spa, in the Sprint Race and I think if I would have gone over track limits one less time, I’d be equal on points with the lead of the Championship going into the last round.”
Browning has been a contender throughout the season and pinpointed his work off the track as a key factor behind his success.
He added: “We did so much research into last year, research into me, and my driving, understanding how I am influencing the car and what I can do better and how I can relay my feedback better to the engineers to make it clearer.”
Luke Browning has been involved in multiple championships before
Browning is heading into Monza as a contender to win the title, but despite the inevitable added pressure, it won’t be a new experience.
He won the British F4 and GB3 titles, coming out on top after tense battles against Zak O’Sullivan and Joel Granfors.
He was ice-cool on both occasions and performed at the same high standard he had been throughout both of those years.
This experience could be vital amongst the chaos of Monza and an unpredictable qualifying session as the Formula 1 teams will keep a watchful eye over proceedings in FIA F3.