Remarkable GB3 Debut For Rookie Browne With Podium In First Race For Hillspeed
Ireland’s Jonathan Browne produced a performance nothing short of remarkable in his maiden race in the ultra-competitive GB3 Championship with top team Hillspeed at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday, 14th August, by taking a headline-grabbing podium finish.
Having already starred in a rain-affected qualifying session earlier in the day, securing a tremendous fourth fastest time for the Markham Vale squad, the 21-year-old delivered an even more impressive showing in the first race of the weekend to well and truly announce his arrival with third place.
During race two on Sunday, 15th August, the series rookie from Ratoath in County Meath sealed a top 12 finish and he rounded-out his first weekend in the GB3 Championship with 13th place in race three – importantly gaining vital experience with every lap on his debut event in ‘slicks and wings’.
Hillspeed on the podium in team’s first race of 2021
Browne made strong and consistent progress throughout two days of officially timed testing at the home of the British Grand Prix on Thursday, 12th August, and Friday, 13th August, and in the rain-hit final run on the first day he was an outstanding fourth quickest.
Tricky conditions awaited competitors for Saturday’s qualifying run, a damp track and drizzle too, but Browne once again starred in his maiden grid determining session in GB3. On his last lap, a time of 2m08.014 seconds (102.94mph) secured a lofty fourth on the grid for race one.
The afternoon’s nine-lap contest took place on a dry track and Browne was just as competitive, making a good start before moving up into the top three and then assuming second at the beginning of lap two when Oliver Bearman stopped on-track at Copse.
Following the resulting Safety Car period, Browne held second at the re-start on lap five but did slip back to third behind the flying Roberto Faria before the end of the tour. Maintaining third position thereafter, the Hillspeed driver capped a sensational debut with a dizzying podium.
Starting race two on Sunday morning from eighth on the grid, courtesy of his second best time in qualifying, the Irishman had a clean opening lap but was shuffled back to ninth place. Remaining there in the thick of the action until lap four, a moment dropped him down to 14th position.
Responding by setting his best lap of the race on the sixth tour, the Hillspeed driver continued to improve his pace the next time around and following a dramatic incident on the 10th and final lap, when two rivals tangled, he leapfrogged into the top 12.
Starting race three on Sunday afternoon from 11th position on the grid, Browne unfortunately slipped back three places on the opening tour and then dropped down to 16th position on lap five after being held out wide at the Maggots and Becketts sequence of fast turns.
With little to separate the midfield pack in terms of pace, the Irish driver’s fightback was assisted when Roman Bilinski, Roberto Faria and Branden Oxley were involved in an incident – Bilinski and Faria retiring. Running in 14th place into lap six Browne, lapping closely behind multiple race winner Ayrton Simmons at that point, circulated very competitively.
After Simmons moved ahead of Javier Sagrera, Browne set about trying to unseat the Spaniard during the closing stages and took the flag on lap 10 a mere 0.1 seconds shy. Post-race, Oxley was disqualified and so Browne was elevated into 13th position in the revised classification.
Richard Ollerenshaw – Hillspeed Team Principal:
“What a start to life for Jonathan in GB3! Taking a podium in your first race, it doesn’t get much better than that. He did an exceptional job in qualifying and race one, and every time he’s in the car we’re moving forward and making progress. Jonathan is very well suited to the GB3 car, he’s a very smooth driver naturally so we knew he’d go well and get up to speed. There is a lot of work to do, obviously, as it’s only his first weekend in the championship but I’m delighted with his performance.”
Jonathan Browne:
“I had good pace and each time we’ve been getting quicker and quicker, it was just a case of seeing how we’d get on [in race one]. I stayed fourth off the line, then the two lads ahead had a bit of an issue and I capitalised on that and managed my race from there. Massive thanks to the Hillspeed team for giving me a great car – they’ve helped me the whole way through.”
Hillspeed will be back in GB3 Championship action a month from now, over the weekend 11th/12th September, for the penultimate event of the season at Oulton Park International Circuit in Cheshire.
