Luke Browning Williams reserve driver for 2026

From the Academy to the third driver Luke Browning’s experience at Williams continues with a new and significant step, which already welcomed him into its Academy in 2023 after promising results such as the pole position and the victory in the Macau Grand Prix that year. After a total of four participations in the first Formula 1 free practice sessions, three of which in the last season, the Grove team has decided to promote the 23-year-old to the role of reserve driver for 2026. Also in Japan This means that, in the event of unavailability of Alex Albon or Carlos Sainz, he will take the place of the official drivers and take to the track in the GPs of the next championship. Browning will therefore be the third driver for Williams, but not only that: as reported by the team’s press release, the Englishman will be at the wheel of Team Kondo Racing, participating in the top Japanese open-wheel series, i.e. Super Formula: “I am incredibly excited to be the reserve driver of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team this year – declared the Briton – the Academy has been fundamental to my growth, supporting me in both Formula 3 and Formula 2 and giving me the opportunity to familiarize myself with modern F1 single-seaters through tests and FP1 sessions.” Added to these words are those of Team Principal James Vowles, with the news coming shortly after Leonardo Fornaroli’s appointment as reserve driver, in this case at McLaren: “It is a proud moment to see Luke take on the role of Reserve Driver from 2026. He has made enormous progress since joining the Academy in 2023 and has supported the team on its path to first position on the grid thanks to his involvement in the simulator and work in FP1, which has proven invaluable in this new era of regulations. His season in Super Formula will allow him to gain more experience on the track and continue his growth as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him back on track as he enters this new phase of his racing career.”