Banbury's Will Bratt raced to his second podium of the season during round six of the FIA Formula 2 Championship at a scorching hot Monza on Sunday – despite being hampered by clutch problems.

The 3.6-mile circuit, scene of his Party Poker Racing Euroseries 3000 and Italian Formula 3000 title victories last year, once again proved to be a happy hunting ground for the 22-year-old during the second of last weekend’s races as he claimed third place.

Starting the race third on the grid after missing out on a maiden F2 pole position by just 0.3secs, Bratt made a clean getaway to pass Sergei Afanasiev on the run to the first chicane.

Running close behind eventual winner Jolyon Palmer, and looking all set to mount a challenge on lap three, Bratt’s car suffered from a slipping clutch.

On the penultimate lap, he was overtaken by Afanasiev, and so had to settle for third.

Happy to have taken his second podium finish of 2010, Bratt was disappointed to have missed out on being able to challenge for his first F2 race win.

But the points for third place mean he remains fourth in the championship.

Bratt said: “I definitely had the pace over Palmer for the first couple of laps until the clutch problem surfaced.”

The previous day, Bratt missed out on a podium finish by just 0.7 secs after a sterling drive from tenth on the grid top fourth.

Belgian track Zolder will host rounds seven and eight over the weekend June 19 & 20