Browning triumphs in Hockenheim – Bearman still championship leader

• Oliver Bearman finishes third and extends his lead over Tramnitz
• Bearman: “I’m happy still to be leading the championship”
• Title race goes down to the season finale at the Nürburgring

Hockenheim. Luke Browning (19, Great Britain, US Racing) won the final ADAC Formula 4 of the weekend at the Hockenheimring on Sunday afternoon. In doing so, he claimed his second victory of the season. Having started from fourth on the grid, the Brit gradually worked his way forward and, after taking the lead, defended it superbly. He was followed over the finish line by Joshua Dufek (16, Switzerland, Van Amersfoort Racing) and championship leader Oliver Bearman (16, Great Britain, Van Amersfoort Racing) in second and third place. Bearman, who had seen his advantage over Tim Tramnitz (16, Hamburg, US Racing) decrease in recent races, now leads his closest rival, who finished fifth, by 23 points again.

“I am happy still to be leading the championship,” said Bearman. “Hockenheim has historically always been a difficult circuit for our team. I am happy to have kept the damage to a minimum this weekend. Without yesterday’s penalty, it would obviously have been better, but these things happen. I am very happy with third place today. I had a very good first lap, which was the foundation for the result.”

Tramnitz, the winner of Sunday morning’s race, referred to the afternoon race as a “difficult final race”. Everyone was driving at a similar pace, so it was difficult to work your way through the field. “However, all in all it was a good weekend. We were able to make up some points, but it will obviously still be hard. I will do my very best again at the Nürburgring, with the goal being to win and score the points necessary to make up the ground,” said the man from Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Browning was very satisfied. “It was a very good race. The plan to take an early lead really worked out. It was close again at the end, because the effect of the slipstream is very strong on the straight. However, our pace was very good and I am delighted with the victory,” said the Brit.

Browning laid the foundation for his win with impressive overtaking manoeuvres early on in the race. When Sami Meguetounif (17, France, R-ace GP), who had started from pole position on the reverse grid, made a mistake, Browning pounced to take the lead. Joshua Dufek and Vladislav Lomko (16, Russia, US Racing) also passed Meguetounif.

From this point on, Browning did an impressive job of defending his lead. He refused to be knocked out of his stride by several attacks from Dufek. While he was closing in on win number two of the season, Oliver Bearman, who had started seventh, was climbing into third place. Tramnitz, who was eighth on the starting grid, fought his way into sixth place. Shortly after, the driver from Hamburg moved into fifth place, behind his team-mate Alex Dunne (15, Ireland).

Tramnitz had claimed his fourth win of the season in the opening race of the day. The ADAC Stiftung Sport driver finished ahead of Bearman and France’s Viktor Bernier. Pole-sitter Alex Dunne was fourth, making him the best-placed rookie again.

The title race will be decided at the final stop on the ADAC Formula 4 calendar, at the Nürburgring from 5th to 7th November. The practice sessions and races can be seen live, free and exclusively on motorsport.tv and adac.de/motorsport.