On February 29, 2024, Luke Browning of Hitech Pulse-Eight emerged victorious in the main race of the Bahrain Formula 3, despite facing technical difficulties. The young Williams prospect managed to defend against Christian Mansell and secure the win in an exciting competition.
The race started disastrously for pole position Beganovic, who quickly fell behind and found himself in the middle of the pack. Meanwhile, Browning, driving for Hitech, quickly overtook his competitors and took the lead as they approached the first corner.
Red Bull junior driver Tim Tramnintz showcased his skills by climbing from seventh to third place in an impressive maneuver around the first corner. Sami Meguetounif also secured a spot on the podium in the second lap of the race.
While chaos unfolded behind them, with collisions and penalties, Browning maintained his lead. Campos’ Mari Boya suffered a puncture in the left rear tire due to a collision and was subsequently penalized for speeding in the pit lane.
In the second lap, when the DRS (Drag Reduction System) was activated, Mansell made a daring move and overtook Meguetounif from the inside before setting his sights on Tramnitz. Browning, in the Hitech car, continued to dominate the race, while Mansell secured the second position on the podium, leaving Tramnitz vulnerable to Meguetounif’s pursuit.
Tramnitz and Meguetounif engaged in intense battles reminiscent of their previous encounters in FRECA. Eventually, Meguetounif managed to overtake Tramnitz, who was a member of the Red Bull academy. Browning, however, maintained a comfortable lead.
Hitech’s Martinius Stenshorne managed to overtake Max Esterston, positioning himself well to score points. Alpine junior driver Gabriele Mini steadily climbed up the rankings.
As the race progressed, tire wear became a concern. Mini overtook Leonardo Fornaroli and Arvid Lindblad, the winner of the sprint race, to challenge Santiago Ramos for fifth place.
Despite facing technical issues with his Hitech car, Browning managed to defend against the ART driver behind him. He pulled away from the pack using the DRS and maintained a one-second advantage over Mansell, who was struggling with his tires.
Campos’ Oliver Goethe made an impressive leap from 17th to 10th place. Alexander Dunne also secured a point, giving MP two cars in the top ten.
In the final stages of the race, Tramnitz made a daring move and overtook Meguetounif to reclaim the last position on the podium. Beganovic, who had a difficult start in the race, managed to recover and finish in 13th place.
The final race classification was as follows: Browning, Mansell, Tramnitz, Meguetounif, Ramos, Mini, Fornaroli, Lindblad, Dunne, and Goethe.
