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Williams Racing has announced that official reserve driver Luke Browning will take part in consecutive Free Practice 1 sessions at the upcoming Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix. The 24-year-old British racer is slated to drive the team’s 2026 challenger, the FW48, giving him a crucial opportunity to experience the machinery first-hand during the European leg of the season.
Under current Formula 1 regulations, teams are mandated to field a rookie driver—defined as someone with two or fewer Grand Prix starts—in at least two practice sessions over the course of the year. Williams will satisfy this requirement across the next two race weekends by utilizing their academy graduate.
Managing the Driver Handover
Browning’s double-header outing will see him step into both of the team’s race seats:
- Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: Browning will take over Alex Albon’s car for the opening practice hour.
- Austrian Grand Prix: Two weeks later, Carlos Sainz will step aside to give the youngster his second run.
While Browning has prior official F1 weekend experience—having completed FP1 sessions for Williams last season in Bahrain, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi, alongside a 2024 appearance in Abu Dhabi—this will mark his first time piloting the 2026-spec FW48.
A Natural Progression
Browning joined the Williams Driver Academy in 2023 and was promoted to the formal F1 reserve role at the start of this season. His progression follows a strong junior career, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in last year’s Formula 2 championship with Hitech GP, a campaign that yielded nine podiums and a Feature Race victory at Monza. For 2026, Browning has transitioned to Japan’s premier single-seater category, Super Formula, competing with Team Kondo Racing where he has secured a personal best finish of fourth so far.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the FW48 for the first time,” Browning stated. “I’ve been working hard to prepare so that I can make the most of these sessions and help the team plan and prepare for the race weekends ahead. I’m incredibly thankful to everyone at Atlassian Williams F1 Team for their continued trust and support.”
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets praised the young driver’s ongoing contributions to the squad, citing both his vital simulator work and track performances. Smeets noted that putting Browning behind the wheel for consecutive race weekends represents an important step and a “natural progression” in his development, reaffirming Williams’ commitment to nurturing its academy talent.
