Luke Browning named as Williams F1 Reserve Driver and Driver Academy members announced
- Teagan Crump
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
By Teagan Crump
Williams Formula One have announced that Briton Luke Browning will be stepping up to the role of Reserve Driver, alongside his 2026 Super Formula season.
In 2025, Browning raced in Formula Two. He finished fourth in the standings with one win and a further eight podiums.. Previously, the 23-year-old has won the British F4 and GB3 Championships as well as the Macau Grand Prix.
In response to the news, Luke Browning said:
“I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as Reserve Driver with Atlassian Williams F1 Team this year. The Academy has been instrumental in my growth, supporting me through both Formula 3 and Formula 2 while giving me the chance to get up to speed with modern F1 machinery through testing and FP1 sessions. I look forward to working alongside Alex and Carlos to drive the team forward in this new era for Formula 1.
“I’m also happy to confirm that 2026 will be my rookie season in Super Formula. This will be a completely new challenge, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in! As my next step up towards a full-time Formula 1 seat, this gives me another chance to show how I've developed on track and continue to build my skills in a new environment and culture.”
Williams Driver Academy
Williams have announced their Driver Academy line-up which features several notable drivers.
Their drivers are:
Luke Browning
The Briton has several junior titles and is competing in Super Formula in 2026 with Team Kondo Racing.
Alessandro Giusti
The French driver will competing in F3 with MP Motorsport for his sophomore year.
Jade Jacquet
Jacquet will be driving in F1 Academy for ART Grand Prix, representing Williams F1. The French driver transitioned into single-seaters with only a year's experience in karting
Kean Nakamura-Berta
Nakamura-Berta is Japanese- Slovakian amd will be racing in Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Region European in 2026. He is also the reigning Italian F4 champion.
Oleksandr Bondarev
Bondarev is a Ukranian driver who will be competing in his second year of Italian F4. Last season, he claimed one win and one further podium.
Dean Hoogendoorn
Hoogendoorn will be competing in OK karting after winning two titles in 2025. The Dutch driver won the FIA Karting European Junior Championship and WSK Super Master Series OKJ Championship.
Will Green
Green, a young British propspect, will be participating in the OKJ category of karting for his second year. In 2025, he won three races in this category.
Lucas Palacio
The American driver was the 2025 WSK Super Master Series OKNJ Champion and will be participating in the OKJ category this season.
James Vowles, Team Principal said:
“It’s a proud moment to see Luke stepping into the Reserve Driver role from 2026. He has made immense progress since he joined the Academy in 2023 and has supported the team’s journey back to the front of the grid through his involvement in simulator and FP1 work, which has been invaluable as we enter this new era of regulations. His Super Formula campaign will allow him to gain more on-track experience and continue his growth as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him back on track as he enters this next stage of his racing career.”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director added:
“We’re pleased to confirm our Williams F1 Team Driver Academy line-up for this year and recognise the depth of talent progressing through the programme, from our youngest driver in Lucas to Luke’s role as Reserve. The Driver Academy remains a central part of how we support and guide young talent and look forward to seeing how each driver performs this year.”
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